Chapter 51

On a night when the moon illuminated the forest,

I sat at the dining table in the mansion in the woods, waiting for dinner.

Across from me, at a diagonal, sat Tety, the elf girl.

Lilicia, with a bright smile, hummed a tune occasionally as she cooked in the kitchen.

The delicious smell of roasting meat and the fragrant aroma of sizzling oil wafted over.

Unable to wait any longer, Tety lifted herself from her chair, her long ears twitching, and said,

"Lilicia-san, can I help with something?"

"Tety-chan, thank you. Could you bring this dish over?"

"Sure thing!"

Tety stood up, her skirt swaying, and went to the kitchen to bring the plates, placing them on the tray.

Each plate held an oval-shaped piece of meat that was steaming.

The thick meat exuded a fragrant aroma.

"Looks delicious."

"Super yummy! But what is this?"

Lilicia brought over the salad.

"Today's dish is a super-sized meatball, as written in the book."

"Super-sized? It looks like it's more than ten times the size of a regular meatball!"

Tety's green eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, her face beaming like a child's.

I couldn't stop smiling either.

"Looks like it will be satisfying."

I could feel saliva filling my mouth and swallowed hard.

The oval-shaped meatballs, larger than my palm, looked incredibly delicious.

Lilicia took off her apron and sat next to me.

"Yes, the book said it's a dish that 'all men will enjoy.'"

"Hmm. ...So you bought it to please me?"

"Y-Yes... I'm good with children's dishes, but this was my first time trying something for men..."

Lilicia blushed and smiled happily.

This angel is too cute.

I smiled and said,

"Thank you, Lilicia—let's eat."

"Okay!"

I cut a small piece with my fork and put it in my mouth.

The surface was crispy, but the meat inside melted on my tongue, so soft it didn't even need chewing.

But the rich sauce and the meat's flavor were perfectly combined.

Because of its size, the meat juices burst in my mouth.

"Mmm! This is delicious!"

"Really yummy! It's a hundred times better than regular meatballs! I like this!"

Tety called out with a smile on her young face.

Lilicia, taking a small bite, widened her eyes.

"Mmm! The more meat there is, the less the flavor escapes when it's cooked!"

"Maybe it's because you crisped the outside first. It traps the flavor. And the inside is so soft and tender. This goes well with bread and salad!"

While eating the meat, I tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in the sauce on the plate, feeling an indescribable satisfaction.

Tety cut her bread and used it to sandwich the meat and salad.

She took a small bite and smiled.

"Mmm! This is delicious too!"

"That way, your hands don't get dirty."

"Ah, Tety-chan."

Lilicia smiled, and I laughed while taking a bite of the meat.

The delicious meal continued peacefully.

...or so I thought.

◇ ◇ ◇

I noticed something was wrong after we finished eating.

I was relaxing on the sofa in the living room with Lilicia.

Tety had returned to her room in the dungeon, and Lilicia was sitting next to me, reading a cookbook.

I was satisfied with the fullness in my stomach, but for some reason, my body was gradually getting hot.

I asked Lilicia,

"Hey, Lilicia."

"Yes, Master?"

"Is something wrong with my body?"

"Huh? What's wrong! Could it be food poisoning?"

"No, I feel fine... but my body is getting hot. Is everything okay with you?"

"Yes, nothing unusual... maybe you have a cold?"

Lilicia, looking worried, furrowed her brow and reached out.

She touched my forehead with her slender hand.

At that moment, a hot surge rose from my lower abdomen.

Lilicia's scent, her swaying silver hair, her supple white hand, and the delicate fingers on my forehead all stirred my heart.

No, they stirred it too much.

I held back and asked Lilicia,

"...Can you tell me one thing?"

"Yes, Master."

"What kind of meat was that?"

"Great Boar. But it said in the book that men would enjoy it, so I added Augmented Snake and blue quail eggs. It also said to add Seita-Ashadachou to eliminate the odor, so I put everything in..."

"An old wizard used to eat it secretly... apparently, snake, eggs, and morning glory grass have effects that aren't generally known to enhance vigor."

"Really!?"

Lilicia's eyes widened.

Taking advantage of her surprise, I kissed her lips, which were like red flower petals.

Soft and tender, the kiss sent a tingling pleasure through me.

—It was too effective!

I pushed Lilicia onto the sofa and kissed her cheek, ear, and slender neck.

"Ah, indeed, this might be a dish that men enjoy... I won't be responsible for what happens tonight."

"Wh-What? B-But we haven't even taken a bath yet, Master! Ah!"

Lilicia blushed and let out a pained cry.

She writhed as she took off her nun's habit, revealing her white skin.

As my fingers traced her soft curves, her body shuddered.

"Aah... Master...!"

I kissed her to muffle her moans.

Her tongue entwined with mine, inviting me further.

"This is the punishment for making such a dangerous dish. You'll have to take responsibility."

"I'm a fallen angel, and I'm sorry... Ah!"

Lilicia arched her slender neck and writhed beneath me.

Her wings spread, and white feathers danced as she received my holy waves.

More intensely and repeatedly than usual.

Half-floating on the bed, I intertwined with Lilicia's soft body, becoming one.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, Marius was...

On a lazy afternoon.

At the southernmost tip of the Fortis Kingdom, there was a narrow valley where monsters surged.

Called the "Valley of Lament," it was where undead creatures from the "Dead Peninsula" in the southern continent invaded.

Although the undead were mostly zombies and skeletons, they dropped little loot, making it unprofitable for adventurers to venture near.

However, if left unchecked, they could pass through the valley and invade the kingdom.

As a result, strong men who had committed crimes were branded with servitude marks and forced to work.

In the desolate, narrow valley,

no trees grew, and the grass was sparse.

White sand covered the ground.

In this barren valley, tough men were swinging swords and axes, their sweat glistening.

"Take that!" "Smash!" "Go down!"

The surging zombies were crushed, and the skeletons shattered.

The ground was white from the crushed bones.

Among the fighting group, a strikingly handsome man with golden hair stood out.

The former hero, Marius.

Marius wielded a rugged sword, slaying the undead.

Before long, they had defeated the horde of undead.

A prison guard shouted loudly.

"Hey, you guys! You can go back now! The next group won't arrive for 12 hours!"

"Okay."

The prisoners responded half-heartedly and trudged back to the fort.

Marius, with his golden hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, also walked back.

Suddenly, a bearded, unkempt man hurried over and pinched Marius's buttocks as he passed.

Marius's red eyes flashed with anger, and he pushed the man's hand away.

"What are you doing, you scum!"

"Get used to life here. After a job, why don't you join us for some fun?"

"Who would do something so animalistic! Stop mocking me! I'm a hero and a noble! I'm different from you!"

Marius raised his voice even more.

The guard shouted,

"Hey, you! What are you doing! You'll have your sentence extended!"

"Damn it!"

Marius bit his lip in frustration and returned to the fort, keeping an eye on his surroundings.

The men watched him with smirks.

Inside the fort,

most of the prisoners returned to the large room with iron bars, but Marius opened the door to his private cell.

A small but private space.

He sighed and was about to enter when a guard stopped him.

"Hey, Marius. You haven't paid this week's cell fee. If you can't pay, you'll have to go to the common room."

"What!? Please wait! It must be a mistake!"

"Well, I can wait a little... but hurry up."

The guard left.

Marius hurried into his cell, closed the door, and started writing a letter at his desk.

"What's going on! Father, please send money quickly! And what about the bribes to the nobles and officials!? ...I'm not the kind of person who should end up here! I'm an excellent person who everyone should praise! Grr—!"

He wrote the letter furiously, venting his frustration.

◇ ◇ ◇

A little before Marius was sent to the south.

Marius's father, Costas Forlight, was in a difficult situation.

His son, Marius, had committed a major crime, leading to their relocation to the frontier.

His wife had not come with him.

"Why do we have to go to the frontier! You go alone! I shouldn't have married you!"

Costas, who had bought his noble status with money,

could not disobey his wife, a genuine noblewoman despite their family's decline.

As a result, Costas went alone, with only a few subordinates.

The frontier was dangerous, especially the area where Costas was assigned, which was infested with monsters.

The one who excelled in this area was the female thief, Nephil.

Nephil, with A-rank strength, defeated the monsters in the wasteland one after another.

Nephil was the slave Marius had bought to conquer the dungeon, but the rights belonged to the Forlight family, specifically the head of the household, Costas.

After Marius was arrested and the hero party disbanded, Nephil became a family-owned slave.

Originally, she was supposed to be returned to the slave trader after the dungeon conquest, but due to the relocation to a monster-infested area, she continued to be used.

After finishing her monster hunting, Nephil took a bath and headed to Costas's mansion.

She entered the study where Costas was.

A room lined with bookshelves.

Nephil approached Costas, who was sitting at a desk by the window.

"Master, I have finished the monster hunting."

"Good work."

Costas stopped writing his letter and looked up.

His bald head, shining from stress, reflected the light.

So far, it was just a normal exchange between master and servant.

—But.

Nephil did not stop there.

She slowly undressed as she walked to Costas's side.

Then, with a seductive breath, she leaned against Costas's aged body.

Biting his earlobe, she whispered,

"This is not enough to count as working as an unconditional slave... Come on, Master. Enjoy the unconditional slave more."

"N-Nephil..."

Nephil seductively untied Costas's belt and pressed her skin against his.

She leaned over him, holding his head and pressing her firm chest against him.

"Master... How am I doing?"

"Ah, good. Very good..."

"Hehe. Let's forget all the harsh realities."

Nephil straddled Costas, a joyful smile on her face.

Costas, using his entire aged body, drowned in Nephil's youthful form.

The letter intended for Marius was never sent, left unfinished.

Ugh, thank you!

Thanks to everyone's support, the book publication has been decided!

From the start of the submission, it took less than a month to get the book deal! (I can't disclose the publisher and other details yet.)

Thanks to the bookmarks and ★ ratings!

Thank you so much!

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The next chapter will be updated tomorrow.

→ 52. Blushing Lilicia