"Haaah..."
Looking at Erica's breathtaking face, his hand tangled in her golden hair, Akuto felt an unprecedented sense of conquest.
He had to admit it: restraint and control really did satisfy something deep in a man's desire to conquer.
Just as Erica had said, his gaze often drifted over her lower belly and thighs. After all, those parts of her had left an extraordinarily deep impression on him.
If the most unforgettable thing about Liliana was the overall line of her legs, then the image that had stayed with him most strongly about Erica was her slender yet softly full waist and abdomen, along with those beautifully shaped, lush thighs.
Especially that scene on the beach, when she had been granted the Boy incarnation. That moment had truly burned itself into his memory.
If he had obtained the Boy incarnation himself, Akuto would have wanted to recreate it.
Of course, even without it, he had other methods.
For example... the Bloodline Infusion Technique.
The Bloodline Infusion Technique had the ability to gradually elevate the physical constitution of anyone who received Akuto's bloodline. He knew Erica had always wanted to become a Godslayer, so he deliberately increased the frequency with which he used it on her.
In barely half an hour, Erica's physique had been refined again and again under more than a dozen waves of infusion, rising until it was comparable to that of a divine beast.
The transformation came too fiercely, and the feedback from that rapid evolution soon overwhelmed her. Before long, Erica lost consciousness in the midst of that swelling power.
Meanwhile, Liliana had not been idle either.
At first, she had been frozen in place from sheer embarrassment after Erica read her novel aloud right in front of her.
Fortunately, Akuto's voice in her mind pulled her back to herself once more.
Lily, could you read your novel to me again?
I really think it's good. Through the words you wrote, I feel like I can almost imagine what you were feeling when you wrote it.
So, Lily... would you read it for me? You only have to read it in your heart. Even the faintest voice will still reach me.
"Eh?"
The moment she heard Akuto's voice, Liliana jerked her head up and met his gaze.
"All right. I understand."
A few seconds later, Liliana rose and walked over to him. Then she lay down heavily at his side and slowly closed her eyes.
I didn't know that man's name. I only knew that he was the one who saved me.
Little by little, Liliana began recounting her novel again from the very beginning.
Only later did I learn that saving me had merely been incidental. He had come to Europe on a mission, mainly for the sake of his childhood friend from Fusou.
And not only me. In the course of rescuing me, that kind man had also saved other shrine maidens who had been trapped by divine beasts...
To satisfy her own emotional needs, Liliana had changed Akuto's enemy in the novel from an invincible Godslayer into divine beasts.
That way, after descending like a heavenly god to save the trapped shrine maidens, he could arrive at a perfect ending.
But that had been the thinking of the old Liliana.
If the current Liliana were the one writing it now, she would no longer replace a Godslayer with divine beasts just to make Akuto seem more flawless.
Because wasn't knowingly doing the impossible even more proof of his bravery and kindness?
Afterward, I searched for his name. According to the records, he was called Shura, a supreme expert from Fusou.
At first, I thought I would never meet him again. But later, during another chance mission, I crossed paths with him once more.
I was so happy. Because when we met the first time, he had still been asking for my name. But the next time we met, he was already able to call me by it directly.
It was obvious enough that the later parts of Liliana's novel were nothing more than self-indulgent fantasy.
In reality, after meeting Akuto as a child, she had never once seen him again in any truly formal setting.
Even so, though her embarrassment was intense, she still kept reciting the story in her heart.
Earlier, she had felt ashamed because the thought of Akuto knowing she wrote this sort of thing had seemed unbearably mortifying.
But now, hearing him say that he liked her novel had given her boundless courage.
...
As she kept reading, Liliana suddenly felt herself being lifted into Akuto's arms.
When she opened her eyes again, she found that Erica had already passed out at some point.
And Liliana herself was now being held against the softness of Akuto's embrace, her white uniform skirt rumpled like a cloud beneath her.
"Lily, I really like your novel."
Akuto truly did like it. After all, who would not be moved by a sweet, sincere girl who had loved him ever since childhood?
"To receive my king's praise is my honor."
A happy smile spread across Liliana's lips before she could stop it.
Liliana was different from Erica.
Though both intended to serve at Akuto's side as both companions and knights, Erica clearly placed more weight on the role of partner, or rather, lover.
Liliana was the exact opposite. To her, the role of knight mattered more.
That was not to say Liliana loved him any less, nor that she placed the title of knight above that of partner.
It was simply that she was too shy, too serious by nature, and needed the identity of "knight" to make herself feel more justified in moving their relationship forward.
In truth, when it came to what they would actually do and the place they would occupy by his side, Erica and Liliana were not all that different at all.
"Haaah..."
Taking a long breath, Liliana gathered her courage, then leaned in and kissed him of her own accord.
Akuto gently answered her still-clumsy kiss while resting his hand at the slim waist hidden beneath her white uniform dress.
Liliana instinctively adjusted herself in response to the guiding pressure of his arm. A trace of resolve flashed through her unfocused eyes.
"Akuto-kun, I love you."
"Yes. I know, Lily. I love you too."
As he kissed her, Akuto softly stroked her silver hair.
His hand slid away from her waist as he combed through those long strands. Under the pull of gravity, Liliana slowly sank against him, her silver ponytail lifting lightly into the air, her white-clad toes curling helplessly.
Fortunately, Akuto had already anticipated how she might react and had caught hold of that distinctive silver ponytail in advance.
So even when Liliana suddenly tipped her head back, he was still able to keep her close, one hand holding her from behind while the kiss between them continued.
"Akuto... my king... my beloved..."
"With this insignificant purity alone, I offer myself to you as a sacrifice for the path toward your great and sovereign ambition..."
Liliana's entire being trembled, and a line of tears filled with a maiden's feelings slipped from the corner of her eyes.
At the same time, a system prompt rang out in Akuto's mind.
[ Ding! ]
[ Congratulations, Host. You have completed a Fate acquisition. ]
[ Fate source: Liliana Kranjcar. ]
[ Blank initial ability slot +1. Current total number of initial ability slots: 15. ]
[ Ding! ]
[ Congratulations, Host. You have completed a goal from your previous life - subduing the twin knights of silver and gold (Red). ]
[ Congratulations. Reward obtained: Succubus Bloodline (Red)! ]
[ Succubus Bloodline (Red): A nearly perfect succubus bloodline, possessing a fundamental attraction toward all living beings.
A being who possesses this system-enhanced succubus bloodline is, by nature, one of the most special existences in all the heavens and worlds.
So long as there is even a single aspect that an opposite-sex individual finds appealing, that affection will gradually expand until it becomes affection for the Host as a whole.
Furthermore, once favorability has increased, it will never decrease again under any circumstances. At most, it will simply stop rising.
A truly bug-level skill essential for rapid conquest.
At its absolute limit, it can even ignore the moral boundaries of all things. ]
"Oh? A red-tier Succubus Bloodline?"
Akuto had not even had time to finish being surprised before the upgraded bloodline had already begun to show its effect.
Two pink heart-shapes suddenly appeared in Liliana's azure eyes, and her entire body flushed a vivid pink.
Without any coaxing or instruction from Akuto, Liliana became more proactive than ever before, as though she wanted to pour out every feeling in her heart in one breath.
Meanwhile, at the very same time Erica and Liliana had gone to Akuto's room, their maids had not exactly been idle either.
Naturally, neither of them intended to interrupt what was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for their mistresses.
But not interfering did not mean they could not observe.
Originally, Arianna had only planned to sneak a peek from Erica's room by herself.
But just as she was getting her viewing mirror prepared, Karen pushed open Erica's bedroom door and walked right in.
"Eh? Karen? Why are you here? Did I walk into the wrong room?"
Arianna checked several times before finally confirming from the clothes Erica had changed out of on the bed that this really was Erica's room.
That had scared her half to death. For a moment, she had thought she had somehow wandered absentmindedly into Liliana's room instead.
"Karen, is there something you need? Why did you come to Lady Erica's room?" Arianna asked in confusion.
"Nothing much. I just came to discuss something with you."
With a sly smile, Karen crossed the room in her black shoes and came to Arianna's side.
"Eh? Discuss something with me? What is it?"
Arianna tilted her head, puzzled.
"Why, of course it's about how, from now on, the two of us will also be serving Lord Akuto together with Lady Erica and Lady Liliana."
Karen gave her a cunning smile, then wrapped her arms around Arianna from behind as the two of them crouched together at the end of the bed, where Erica's clothes still lay.
"Eh? That?"
Arianna glanced around guiltily.
Clearly, she had already been mentally prepared for such a possibility.
What she had not expected was that Karen would be so aggressive about it, taking the initiative to come to her before Akuto had even spoken of having all four of them serve him together.
(End of Chapter)
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