It’s been a few days since that incident with Madam Mylene. I’d be lying if the thought of getting kicked out of the estate didn’t cross my mind.

I mean, didn’t I just assault House Valter’s Mistress? No matter how disadvantageous it was for me, the opponent was not a Misfit but an ordinary human.

I waited for my senior to bring up that matter every time we drink tea, however, it never happened.

He even acts as if he didn’t know a thing, which is weird. I want to tell him myself but the thought of embarrassing his wife stopped me from doing so. And now, I don’t know what to do. I feel lost.

Even the darkest and depressing corners in the dungeon where I got out seemed to have been brighter.

As I wander around the estate, lost in thought. I caught sight of someone who isn’t usually seen anywhere that’s not inside my senior’s study room, tending to him.

It was the head butler, Arnod.

Thanks to the noisy chattering of the servants as they work, I’m able to discern the expression written on his face. He seemed distressed about something. An expression he doesn’t seem to wear most of the time. Or at least, that’s what I saw him as.

I walked towards him, steadily. And as if sensing my presence, he immediately stood upright and turned towards me.

“Young master Jakob, what brings you here?”

His voice sounded stiff. It is as if he wasn’t expecting to see me at all.

“I was just taking a stroll after my training,” I told him, a blatant lie.

Though what I just told him was a lie, he wouldn’t be able to confirm it on my expression even if he wanted to.

“Why do you seem so down?” I asked, “You don’t seem to be the type of person to be troubled by anything,”

He turned his head towards my direction, and even without seeing the expression on his face, I can tell exactly how much he is surprised by my words.

“You seem to hold me in high regard,” Arnod shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh, “Unfortunately, I am just like any other normal human being, plagued with my own troubles.”

What a surprise! I did not expect him to open up like that. I thought he was always the calm and collected type of person in any kind of situation, but to think that I was wrong.

Just like everyone else, Arnod also has his fair share of troubles. As do I.

Since we were just standing, doing nothing but looking at each other. I moved close to the wall and leaned my back. I made the initiative to do so since if I didn’t we would just be standing there. And considering Arnod’s age, no matter how disciplined he is, he should take care of himself just as he takes care of my senior.

Fortunately, he understood what I was trying to say without actually speaking a single word.

Arnod moved back and leaned his back against a wall, copying me. Although I wasn’t expecting him to understand, I’m grateful that he is sharp enough to read my intentions.

“Looks like you are going through something as well, young master Jakob,” Arnod spoke softly and slowly moved close, and whispered, “Is it perhaps because of the mistress?”

I couldn’t help but be surprised. He figured what troubled me without even trying.

“Is it showing on my face?”

Arnod shook his head, “Not at all. Your face is just like how it had been ever since I first saw you. Calm, and unbothered like the mountains,”

He then let out a sigh and turned away, looking at the sky. And right after that, he told me how he figured out what troubled me. And it was not how I expected it to be.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this, young master Jakob. Honestly, the master and the mistress are discussing the things that happened recently.”

I felt Arnod’s gaze upon me once again and continued ambiguously, as he didn’t want other people to accidentally overhear and learn what happened.

“I think you already know which incident I’m referring to,”

“Yes, I think I know which incident you’re referring to.” I told him, nodding my head, “I was surprised you knew about it.”

“Well, the master doesn’t really hide much from me. That’s why I’m fairly knowledgeable about things outside my… concerns,” said Arnod, trailing off. “And it’s because of that that I’m troubled right now.”

I didn't even need to ask what's troubling him since it's evident in what we're talking about so far.

"Looks like I'm the root of your troubles, Sir Arnod," I told him.

He neither denied nor told me off, confirming my suspicion.

"Perhaps, you are troubled by the same matter that I had in mind?”

I turned my head towards him, and asked.

“Is it the incident the other night?”

Arnod then nodded his head as if he knew what I was talking about. Before telling me any details, he looked to make sure no one else hears about what he is about to say.

We could have got inside a room to talk about important matters such as this, but by doing so, we might arouse some suspicion from the other people in the mansion. If that happens, it might spell trouble for Arnod. And as troubled as he is now, I don’t want to add up to his troubles.

He knew that his eyes wouldn’t be enough, and so he gave me a glance and I nodded in response.

“There’s no one nearby,” I reassured him,

“That’s reassuring,” he let out a sigh of relief before continuing on the details, “Well, to be honest, the master along with the mistress have been wondering about you…”

His suspenseful pause while talking made me really curious. And to my surprise, what he said next left me speechless.

“... And since you’re so indecisive, the master has decided to take the matter into his… own hands,”

What does that mean? They are clearly thinking about my future. Although, I don’t really have a plan right now but that doesn’t mean it will stay like that in the future.

As a disciple of the same master, he told me about my senior’s personality and behavior. Because of the lengthy story all the time, it was as if I knew my senior even before we met. And naturally when we did, he got along well.

And right now, hearing what Arnod just told me sent shivers down to my spine. I know very well what would happen if my senior decided on something. He will not rest until he gets his desired result. Although this doesn’t happen all the time, there are cases where my master told me how extreme my senior can be. He even warned me not to be on the receiving end as it would not end up well.

Unfortunately, I forgot that and fell on the receiving end. And right at this moment, I’m afraid of the things he had decided to do.

I let out a deep sigh and held my head, massaging my temples.

Arnod chimed in as I was busy organizing my thoughts.

“Looks like you’re aware how the master does things when he’s decided on something,”

“Well, our master talks about my senior frequently. So I naturally became curious and asked a lot of things about him. There, I knew a lot of things before we even met personally.” I told him.

“It seems so. So, what will you do, young master Jakob?”

There was a slight tinge of interest behind Arnod’s voice.

Who could blame him?

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Even I want to raise that question to myself.

“In times like this, I need to stand my ground and face him head on.”

Arnod fell silent.

It may be because he wasn’t expecting a response from me like that.

But what else is there to do other than face my senior head on?

I could dodge and continue to resist but that would also mean that he’ll relentlessly pursue his desired result. Just by thinking about something like that happening over and over again, my head starts to spin.

So rather than running away. I might as well take on what my senior had prepared and get it over with in one go. That way, he will no longer try to persist after that’s done.

That’s what I’ve decided on.

“Please keep everything you heard from me a secret. Otherwise, I’d get an earful from the master and the mistress,” Arnod sounded so troubled.

Looks like I made trouble for him once again.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t heard anything,”

Without seeing it with my own eyes, I could tell that Arnod is smiling right now as he bowed his head.

“Thank you very much.”

After we concluded Arnod excused himself and exactly right after he left, most of the attendants and maids had started to pass by, it was already time for lunch.

As I walked away from the scene, I couldn't help but feel something amiss.

That night, my senior called me to his study room.

Right after I entered the room, I saw my senior sitting on his chair. With a solemn look on his face, he swiftly waved his hand. That gesture made everyone else vacant the room except for us.

“I see that you’ve already made your decision,”

“Yes. I decided to go through your plans knowing it would be utterly pointless to resist any longer,” I told him.

He smiled and nodded his head a few times. And then he looked me straight in the eyes. Although I can’t see his eyes, I can feel that he is delighted to hear those words from me.

“Thank goodness…” he trailed off, “I thought I had to resort to drastic measures, but to think that you’d face me head on. Now all my plans have gone to smoke.” he shook his head as if telling himself not to feel disappointed. “However, I guess I can’t say I hate this result, as well.”

He really is hell bent on his decision. It’s a good thing that I got to talk to Arnod earlier. Otherwise, I’d have to face his assault head on.

My senior seems to be happy for someone who’s disappointed as he starts humming to himself. It looks like this talk elated his mood to a certain extent. He didn’t even ask me further about anything. So, before anything happens. I need to tell him about the other decision I’ve made.

“Senior…” I called out to him.

“What is it?”

“Apart from this, I’ve also decided to do something.” I told him.

I can feel his gaze fixed on me the moment I decided to bring something up. His gaze wasn’t intimidating to say the least. More like he is curious as to what I was about to say.

“Come on. Tell me. There’s no need to hold yourself back,” he said, gleefully.

“I want to attend the academy for Misfits.”

The moment I said those words, I could instantly feel the atmosphere get heavy. The air around us turned cold as if we were surrounded by snow. The instant I felt the sudden change in the atmosphere, I held myself back. Last time, I wasn’t able to control myself. However, this time will be different. I learned not to let my instincts take over me.

And right now, my instincts are telling me that I’m in danger.

The long silence felt like an eternity.

But after a few moments, I could see my senior’s figure slowly ease up and crossed his arm. The suppressing aura slowly dissipated and the atmosphere around us calmed down.

“You want to join the academy, huh?” he said, fiddling with his chin, “I can’t say I didn’t expect this but I wasn’t expecting you to bring this up so soon.”

While saying those words, I could feel his gaze on me. Unlike earlier, his gaze felt warm as if he’s worried about me.

“I can take care of myself, senior. I’m a grown up, after all,” I reassured him.

“I know that. I can see you, you know?” his voice softened, “It’s just that I’ve hidden something from you. And the thought of you hating me for not telling you scares me.”

“......”

I was about to say something but after hearing his words, I held myself back.

What is it that scares him? Is it something I must know about?

I turned to my senior. Curious of what it might be, however, I didn’t voice my curiosity and just ask a single question.

“Will I know what you might be referring to by going there?”

It was silent, I didn’t hear a response. I got my senior’s answer as he slowly nodded his head, tapping his hand on the table at the same time.

“I’ll decide whether it is worthy of your worry or not once I find it for myself, senior,”

I stood from my seat, tracing the table with the tip of my fingers to guide me towards my senior.

I arrived in front of him and looked at his seemingly deflated figure in front of me.

My senior’s figure looked similar to the first time I saw him inside in this room. He looked so defeated.

What could have made my senior end up like this?

I’m really curious to know what it is. But it is not the right time yet. We must first deal with the current problems at hand.

“For the meantime, why don’t we take care of the situation at hand,” I told him, to erase his worry, “I don’t think you’re the kind of person who would hold back. Even with your junior.”

Upon hearing those words, he recovered.

He let out a deep sigh and composed himself and then stood from his seat.

Without the help of my eyes, I could sense that my senior was back to his old self.

He grabbed my shoulder firmly, and with an enthusiastic voice, he said;

“Now that you’ve mentioned it. I should leave it to the future. I’ll take whatever punishment you’ll give me.”

“You sound like it’s quite a heavy sin. Whatever it may be, I don’t think I’ll get so angry as to punish my own senior. That would be utterly unthinkable considering our standing.”

“Say that after you learn what I’m referring to.”

Hearing my senior’s usual cheery voice calmed me down. It made me think ‘Yes. I prefer him to be this way, after all.’

After we recovered from the completely different atmosphere earlier, my senior led the way. He sounded so cheerful for someone who was quite depressed earlier. It made me think what kind of stunt he is pulling to be this happy.

We were walking for a while now and I could sense the gazes of the attendants and maids on us. Their gaze felt like needles piercing through me, it’s quite bothersome.

My senior’s mansion is quite large compared to ours’ when I was still a noble. However, it’s not large enough to require a good amount of time to walk around like we are window shopping.

The longer we walk, the scarier the situation becomes. It made me even hesitate to take another step. But since I agreed to do what my senior wants, there’s no turning back.

While contemplating on what to do, we finally stopped in front of a door. It was not far from the room we came from and what’s puzzling is why did my senior bring me to my room.

I immediately tried to address the situation but my senior beat me into it, patting my shoulder.

“Don’t think about anything else and let me handle the rest,” retrieving his hand and opening the door to my room, “Enjoy yourself, okay?”

What does he mean by those words?

Before I could ask him anything, he shoved me inside my room and instantly closed the door on me. I reached out to the knob and realized he was holding it on the other side as I tried to twist it open.

“Don’t get any funny ideas, Jakob. You told me you’ll go along with my plan, right?”

Although his voice seems muffled because of the wall between us, I could clearly understand what he meant.

And it’s thanks to his voice that made me aware of my surroundings. The hair on my back stood like needles as I slowly started to bathe in cold sweat.

Someone else is inside my room.

I turned around and saw the outline of a person sitting on my bed. Although I can’t differentiate a man from a woman in the past. It’s thanks to my blunder for failing to recognize Mistress Mylene that I tried my hardest to discern a man from a woman. And judging from the curves and figure of the person sitting on my bed, this person is definitely a woman.

The moment I realized that fact, my body trembled. I didn’t expect my senior to have decided to do something like this.

Just then, I realized what his words before meant. So he was referring to this.

Damn, I underestimated my senior too much.

Since I already promised to go through what he had in store for me, I don’t have a choice but to do what he wants to happen.

I walked towards my bed and stopped just a few paces away, greeted and apologized for dragging her into this mess.

“Hello, I’m Jakob. I apologize for getting you involved with this mess,” I told her.

I don’t think there is someone sane enough to walk into a man’s room. Especially when that person is a complete stranger. It’s either that she’s getting paid for this or that she’s forced to do this against her will. The life of a noble, I don’t think I’ll get used to it, at all.

Before getting started, I need to get permission first so that I’d get the complete picture as to how she found her way here. That’s what I planned to do first, however, the next moment, I heard a rather familiar voice as if caressing my ears passionately.

“If I remember correctly, we’re already acquainted, though?” said the woman.

“Lady… Aira… why are you here?”

She stood from the bed and walked towards me. I wanted to take a few steps back, but if I do, I’d be regarded as a coward for taking back my words.

With every step she took, I felt my body tremble even more. I steeled myself to keep myself from running away. I have no particular experience in this aspect so my reaction should be natural.

Compared to me, Lady Aira seems to be confident in her experience.

Finally, she stopped in front of me. The moment she grabbed my hand, I felt so guilty. I wasn’t the only one who’s scared. Her warm and sweating hands were trembling as bad as mine. As my heart beat faster, I suddenly got thought; ‘Maybe this is not just my first time but hers as well’

“Lady Aira… is this your-”

Before I could finish expressing my thoughts, I felt something soft on my lips. It gave me a warm and pleasant sensation, making my heart flutter. Even without the help of my imagination, I could tell she kissed me.

“Let’s leave that for later…” she grabbed my waist, and pulled me towards the bed, “For now, let’s savor this moment,”

I can’t help but fall for her seductive and alluring voice. Just listening to her words alone, I don’t think I need to hear the reason as to why she’s here. It’s evident that she wanted to be here.

And to respect her resolve, I must respond accordingly.

I didn’t expect that I’d get to experience an intimate moment that nobles my age should be experiencing. And what’s more surprising is that we shared each of our bodies' warmth the entire night.