Chapter 67

### Chapter 66 Extra (?) - How to Steal a Woman (15)

“Sigh...”

Lena finished her work and returned to her room.

“...Did I expect too much?”

Lena, filled with anticipation, had brought dinner to the guest room. Although dining together was slightly uncomfortable, having a calm meal with that man was surprisingly pleasant. However, when she entered the room, the woman who had accompanied him was there.

The woman's name was Viola.

“...She was definitely the hero's younger sister, right?”

Lena didn't know the exact reason why the hero had disappeared. The information she could gather now was woefully insufficient. Based on the limited information she had, Lena deduced that Viola was one of the main culprits behind the hero's disappearance. But it was all in the past.

“Since he's traveling with her without any coercion, it doesn't seem like she's being forced...”

Lena, who had brought the food, could only stand by and watch the two of them eat. Standing next to them, she felt a sense of jealousy for the first time.

‘Because of that woman...’

Lena inwardly resented Viola for taking the seat that should have been hers. Despite her discomfort, she tried her best not to show her feelings and waited by their side.

As she listened to their conversation, Lena nearly lost her composure.

(Seung-ho, when are we going back?)

(About three days from now?)

(...)

She knew they wouldn't be staying here for long, but hearing the exact date made her feel increasingly desolate.

Her eyes fell on a book on the table. She had been happy to receive the book, but the man had entered the room indifferently. Today, Lena had visited the library and recognized the book as one that should be in the archives of the Peron Principality.

She had originally planned to just pretend to walk around and avoid getting into trouble. But she couldn't just pass by this book. It was one of the records about Peron IV. Although it was only a part of the recorded documents and contained only administrative records, reading those dry and emotionless entries made Lena feel as if she were face-to-face with her father.

Lena gently caressed the book.

“...Tomorrow, I'll thank him.”

Lena left the room and, as usual, headed to the supervisor to get her lev herb. Her work was done, but the noble children were still bustling about. Lena moved carefully to avoid drawing their attention. Despite feeling guilty for ignoring the children, she didn't want to let the emotions she had felt from the man earlier be disturbed.

However, the news she heard from the supervisor was a shock.

“I'm sorry, but you won't be getting any lev herbs for a while.”

“D... Did I do something wrong?”

“No. The officer suddenly asked for all of them, so I had no choice but to give them away.”

“Ah...”

Lena felt a mix of relief and anxiety. Without the lev herb, she might not be able to sleep and would struggle with her work the next day.

“And they took all the strong sleeping pills too, so there's nothing left. I'll let you know when they come in. Go on.”

“...Understood. Thank you.”

Lena bowed politely and headed back to the dormitory. Her steps weren't as heavy as she expected.

‘Maybe I won't be able to sleep with this feeling?’

Just in case, Lena picked up a cup of honey water. She hoped it might help her sleep a little.

When she arrived at the dormitory building, a group of girls was grumbling at the entrance.

They were noble girls, and the entrance was completely blocked.

‘I should step aside. It's rude to eavesdrop.’

Just as she was about to move to another spot, a conversation caught her attention.

“What's going on! I've been getting scolded for days!”

“It's really hard without Lena de Peron.”

“But why are they calling you?”

Lena, knowing it was rude to eavesdrop, couldn't move her feet.

“One of the visitors is being served by a man.”

“A man who's close to demons? He probably has parasites or something. Gross...”

Lena clenched her teeth and closed her eyes tightly. She was angry.

‘You're so much better than them...’

Lena felt more anger at the girls who insulted the only person who had been kind to her here than at those who flattered her only in front of her.

“Hey! I heard that the man is so great that even the Demon King bows to him!”

“Really?! How can we get close to him?”

“Me too! If he's a human man, I can charm him in five minutes!”

Lena listened to the girls' gossip from behind the dormitory building for a long time. When they finally left, she looked at herself.

‘...A woman like me, probably not, right?’

Lena had never evaluated her own appearance. Her palms were calloused from handling swords and spears, and her tall stature made some men feel uncomfortable. She was about 172 cm tall, which would have been a notable height in the modern world where Seung-ho lived, but in the Illunia continent, she was considered tall. She didn't particularly enjoy the compliments from men.

She always longed for her father's praise. On the days he praised her, she was so happy that she couldn't sleep. But here, there was no one like her father to support her. Receiving praise from her colleagues only made her feel miserable.

Lena suddenly wanted to hear praise from the man she secretly admired.

But she quickly regained her composure.

“Sigh... What am I thinking... Let's go in.”

Feeling down, she checked that no one was at the entrance and carefully made her way to her bedroom. When she arrived, the sun was setting.

It was time for the roll call. Lena knocked on every door on the first floor and had a brief conversation with the children inside. They all greeted her with smiles.

‘...They're all so kind to me when I'm around.’

She noticed some boys looking at her but ignored it. Finally, she knocked on Verius's door.

Knock, knock, knock.

When she knocked, a boy about half her height rushed out.

“Lady!”

“Did you work hard today?”

Lena subtly moved past Verius's welcome and asked.

Verius started to ramble about his day.

The pattern was simple.

He was given strange tasks, rebelled, and got scolded.

That was it.

“Those guys... They were even meaner to me when you weren't around!”

“...You must have worked hard. I need the key today.”

“L-Lady! T-The key! Huh? Lady?”

“I need it. Goodbye...”

Lena, not wanting to hear more from Verius, habitually took the key and returned to her room.

She bowed her head and smiled bitterly.

“Yeah... I messed up that kid... It's my fault...”

Feeling guilty, she headed to the wardrobe. As she changed into her nightgown, she suddenly remembered.

“Oh... The key today...”

Since she didn't have her sleeping drink, there was no need to give the key to Verius. She had given it to him out of habit to avoid his tantrum.

“...It should be fine.”

Lena, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, decided it wouldn't be a big problem. She put on a simple nightgown and went to the dining table.

Without her sleeping drink, she would usually be too anxious to sleep. But her gaze fell on something that made her smile.

“...Should I finish reading it?”

It was the book about her father, with no return date set. She lit a candle and carefully turned the pages.

The content on each page was mundane, detailing the duties and orders of Peron IV. But Lena stared at the page for a long time, lost in nostalgia.

“Father... I'm sorry I couldn't keep our last promise.”

Lena, unable to tear her eyes away from the page, rubbed her reddened eyes and closed the book.

“...I'll read it later.”

She was feeling drowsy. The regret and the pleasure of sleep were coursing through her body. She brushed her pink hair to the side and blew out the candle. She carefully moved to her bed and lay down, drinking the honey water and placing the cup under the bed.

Lena, feeling the drowsiness creeping in, murmured.

“...Thank you.”

...

...

Creak...

‘...Huh?’

Lena, startled by the sudden sound of metal, opened her eyes.

‘Verius?’

Thump, thump, thump.

She immediately recognized the footsteps.

‘...It's not him.’

The heavy footsteps were more like an adult's. She instantly became alert, her senses sharp. Having overheard the boys' gossip recently, she was certain.

‘They wouldn't really do something like this... But if I cause a commotion...’

If she could subdue the intruder, it wouldn't be a problem. But if she failed?

The fear of causing a big disturbance and not being able to serve the man rose.

‘I can subdue them if they get close.’

Lena decided to wait until they were close, then subdue them and give a stern warning to prevent any future incidents.

But the man's voice made her tension dissipate.

“...Sleep well.”

“...”

‘What? That voice is definitely...’

Thinking she might have misheard, Lena strained to listen again. As she did, the man suddenly slipped into her bed.

‘Wait, what!’

Lena was flustered but couldn't act rashly.

‘Should I catch him now?’

She was confident she could subdue him if she acted now.

‘No, I should be more certain...’

Lena decided to listen to the man's voice again to confirm. She was utterly confused.

An outsider had entered her room. But instead of doing something lewd, he started to embrace her.

‘What is he doing? Why is he...’

As Lena was confused, the intruder pulled her head close with both hands and said,

“Sigh... You're really beautiful.”