Chapter 90

EP.90 Lucie... (2)

I lent Lucie some clothes.

After taking off her wet dress and underwear, she changed into the clothes I gave her.

The process went smoothly, as if we had made a prior agreement.

I couldn't pry any further into what had happened. It felt like the right thing to do as a human.

Time passed, and now.

Lucie was sitting on my bed, quietly observing the room.

I handed her a cup of tea, which I had brewed in the kitchen, and then sat on the chair at my desk, holding my own cup.

She is now wearing a white school uniform shirt and pants, the clothes I lent her.

The sleeves of the men's shirt completely covered her hands.

"First time in Isaac's room. It's cleaner than I thought."

Lucie spoke as if she had been waiting for this moment. Her voice was warm and beautiful.

Naturally. How could she sit there and give her impressions as if she were a guest invited over?

I glared at her with a stern look.

"Shouldn't you have come here?"

"Well, I had my reasons..."

It seemed she wanted to surprise me.

Earlier, the envelope Lucie gave me had a note attached. It read, "Sorry for last time - Lucie." After reading it, I could guess why she had come to my room.

"Anyway, I want to apologize to you."

Lucie sent me a determined gaze.

Of course, that was the purpose.

I understand her serious attitude. After closing her heart to others, she probably hadn't properly apologized to anyone in a long time.

This was the first time she had come to me with the sole purpose of apologizing. She must have prepared a lot for this.

I took a sip of tea.

"Because of what happened at the prayer meeting?"

I recalled the incident where Lucie had handcuffed me.

"Yeah. I did something you said you hated."

"I remember. Go on."

"I don't know if this will make you feel better..."

I answered indifferently, but I really wanted to have a pleasant conversation with Lucie.

However, if I were too friendly right away, the significance of her coming to apologize would be lost.

I didn't want to ignore her determination, so I deliberately maintained a cold attitude.

Let's handle this well. Since I'm older, I should be calm, composed, and show a broad understanding as an elder.

And then, finish the conversation with a smile...

'I should ask her for a sparring session.'

I had been wanting to try out Zanya's staff in a real battle.

Lucie is an overly strong opponent, but precisely because of that, she can serve as a measure of my progress. It will also help me grow.

I listened quietly to what she was saying while sipping my tea.

"Do you want to touch my chest?"

Pfft──!

The tea spurted out.

Are you crazy...?

"Are you serious...?"

Cough, cough, I managed to ask, clearing my throat.

There was no way I could have misheard her. Lucie's voice has a seductive quality that draws people in, making them focus and absorb every word.

Even though Lucie doesn't know how to gauge the boundaries between friends, she must have some basic knowledge of sexual matters.

Lucie was blushing and had her head bowed. She clearly understood the implications of what she had said.

"It says in a book that men like it when you do this... No, forget it. I'm sorry. Please forget it."

"How can I forget...?"

"Forget it!"

[Lucie Eltania]

Psychology: [She is extremely embarrassed.]

Her voice, usually so gentle, even her shout was as soft as the moonlight.

'Lucie...'

My hand instinctively rested on my forehead.

This is the first time I've seen Lucie so flustered. She was clearly worried about being disliked by me.

To be honest, I had glanced at Lucie's chest a few times. I couldn't help it. Look at those curves. It's an absolute, irresistible destiny for any man.

Lucie must have noticed. That's why she once called me a pervert.

'Even so, how can you say something like that without hesitation...?'

Lucie seemed to regret saying it as soon as it came out.

I can't let this go. I should take the initiative.

"Anyway, you're sorry to me, right?"

Lucie nodded.

"Then let's have a sparring session. I think that would be enough to forgive you. Is that okay?"

"......!"

Lucie's eyes, which seemed to hold the vast ocean, sparkled. She nodded quickly.

This makes things much easier.

...

The academy streets were quiet on this weekend morning. Most students were probably honing their skills at various facilities.

And in the secluded corner of the butterfly garden, as usual.

Kwaga-kwang──!

Pwoaaaaa───!

For hours, my elemental magic and Lucie's crossed fiercely.

Even with Zanya's staff, the power of my elemental magic was no match for Lucie's.

I had to apply all sorts of tricks and strategies to even stand against her.

Eventually, we decided to take a break and have lunch. We leaned against a tree, cooling off and catching our breath.

"Isaac, you're amazing. You can already handle the staff. You've only been using it for a short time."

Lucie praised me in a textbook manner. Of course, I could tell she was sincere by her [Psychology Insight]. Her tone was much more natural compared to the first semester.

I had already told Lucie about Zanya's staff.

Handling such a staff requires a significant amount of time. However, thanks to my unique trait [Skillless], I can easily handle Zanya's staff. Lucie must think I'm some kind of prodigy.

"Isaac, you've improved a lot since the first semester."

"Compared to the first semester, how am I now?"

"If you were an ant back then, now you're... a mouse?"

"......"

Isn't that a bit too honest...?

Even though it was noon, the wind was still cool. I thought it would be warm with the sun shining down.

"You look cold."

I draped my cape shawl over Lucie, who was wearing a school uniform shirt. She stared at me intently.

"I'm wearing all of Isaac's clothes today. I'll be soaked in your scent."

Lucie laughed happily. She's so cute.

"By the way, Isaac."

"Uh-huh."

"Is it really that bad for me to keep you tied up?"

I thought we had already discussed this.

"I've already told you before."

"Then...?"

Lucie extended her arm to me.

"Do you want to tie me up once?"

...What?

"Like revenge... I was curious why you hated it so much. And I thought this might help us completely resolve our issues..."

Had she been thinking about this during our sparring session? It was clear she had put a lot of thought into it.

I didn't think much of it at first... but it seems Lucie still had some lingering feelings.

If this could help Lucie feel better, it would be a good thing. I had even considered making her see things from my perspective.

"...Are you really okay with this?"

"Yeah, sure."

There was no need to hesitate. I stood up and knelt in front of her.

I grabbed Lucie's wrists and lifted them above her head.

Her slender arms. Lucie didn't resist my touch at all.

"Ah."

Because our faces were so close, I could tell she had swallowed hard. She seemed tense.

"I don't have any ropes, so I'll just use elemental magic to bind you?"

Lucie nodded.

I brought her wrists together and sent my mana.

「Rock Creation (Rock Attribute, ★1)」

Ku-ung─.

I placed thick rock cuffs on Lucie's wrists.

Ku-ung─.

I did the same for her ankles, binding them together.

Although my elemental magic could easily be dispelled by Lucie's water magic, she didn't resist at all.

She just stared at me intently with a blank expression.

I bent Lucie's bound arms behind her head and looked down at her from close range.

More dangerous and alluring than I expected, I kept my gaze fixed on Lucie's face.

Her delicate features are very endearing. But now wasn't the time to admire her beauty.

"Isaac, you're so close."

Suddenly, Lucie blushed and smiled faintly. She was usually calm, but this time she didn't plan to back down easily.

"Lucie."

"Uh-huh...?"

"You can't move freely, right? This is what you did to me. I didn't like it."

I spoke in a gentle tone, as if scolding a student.

However, I slightly furrowed my brow, showing a serious expression. Lucie, who hates being disliked by me, would surely be affected.

"Do you understand now how it feels to have your body restrained against your will?"

Lucie fell silent, thinking deeply.

After a while, she seemed to have decided what to say and moved her lips gently.

"...Honestly, it's not bad."

Her eyes had a childlike gleam, as if she had discovered a new toy.

Lucie, with her usual gentle smile, whispered softly.

"Like this, Isaac will take care of me every day, right?"

Her beautiful voice, almost violent in its allure, tickled my ear.

"Even that... doesn't seem bad."

[Lucie Eltania]

Psychology: [She wants to monopolize you.]

'Huh?'

A sense of foreboding washed over me, making me feel uneasy.

It seemed my attempt to make her see things from my perspective had taken a wrong turn.

I could feel that I was encouraging her hidden tendencies to surface and even giving her new attributes.

A cold sweat trickled down my cheek.