Chapter 8 : Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Actually, I Like You
Fia lay under the bed, listening to the movements above her head, barely daring to breathe.
She and Lorinna had entered the room only moments apart. In her arms she still held the fake red fragment she had prepared for the swap. Who could have expected the red-haired owner of the room—who was originally supposed to return hours later—to come back so early?
In her panic, she had immediately crawled under the bed.
At this distance, even if she used stealth, a magic-sensitive clergy member would certainly notice something strange. Even if she managed to escape now, it would be impossible to sneak in again later to steal the fragment.
“Bad woman. I’ll stomp you to death.”
Footsteps sounded above her head.
Lorinna was stomping on her bed, kicking the blanket over and over again.
Cold sweat formed on Fia’s forehead.
Has she been discovered?!
“If you’re stepped on by Lady Lorinna, you should feel honored! As long as you obediently lie there and wag your tail like a little dog, I might even satisfy you~”
These young people sure play some wild games.
Fia quietly let out a breath and estimated the distance to the window, wondering whether she would have enough reaction time to activate stealth and rush there.
Tap.
Lorinna’s leg, wrapped in white silk stockings, dropped down right in front of Fia’s eyes.
The elegant arch of her foot, the faint outline of her delicate toes visible through the fabric.
The owner of the room walked slowly across the floor. After opening a door somewhere, the sound disappeared.
The layout of her room was roughly the same as Fia’s, so it was easy to guess she had entered the bathroom.
A bath after returning from outside.
Fia liked doing the same thing.
This was her chance.
Fia carefully slid out from beneath the bed.
She had not come here on a whim. According to the background settings, she knew exactly where Lorinna hid her things and what her daily routine looked like. She could practically walk to the wardrobe blindfolded and retrieve the red and white, Just as she stood up, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Along with it came the quiet humming of a girl’s voice.
Singing hymns while bathing?
Lorinna, honestly…
There was no time to dwell on it.
Fia lifted the blanket and pillows from the bed and lightly pressed a spot near the corner.
A mechanism activated.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside was… a teddy bear?
Fortunately, beneath the stuffed toy lay the true target of this mission.
The red key fragment assigned to Lorinna.
All she had to do was swap it with the replica, and the task would be complete.
The bathroom door suddenly opened.
Lorinna stepped out.
Her hair was already soaked, water dripping down in thin streams. Her delicate skin seemed to glow faintly in the dim light.
She looked forward and saw a figure lying across her bed, one hand stretched forward toward the open hidden compartment.
Of course she recognized that figure.
Just moments ago, she had imagined the blanket as that person while kicking it viciously.
Fia.
Why was she here?
Why was she on her bed?
Why was she reaching for her things?
Her brain froze for a moment.
Then instinct made her open her mouth to scream.
But the figure suddenly dispersed like mist.
Bang.
Thud.
Using stealth, Fia threw the blanket over Lorinna, then shoved both the girl and the blanket back into the bathroom.
With her free left hand, she pulled the door closed behind them and locked it.
Inside the cramped space, the two of them were pressed very close together.
The steam dampened the blanket, allowing Fia to use it to cover Lorinna’s mouth.
The red-haired girl sat on the floor with her back against the wall, staring at Fia with wide eyes. She struggled slightly, but Fia held her down firmly.
Looks like Lorinna’s physique stat is even lower than 2.
Fia let out a small sigh of relief, but she still had no idea how to handle this situation.
The blanket thrown over Lorinna appeared to hide her body.
But in reality, it also served as protection for Fia herself.
The atmosphere had become… extremely heated.
“……”
Fia loosened her grip slightly after receiving a signal from Lorinna’s eyes.
The moment she sensed the girl about to shout, she quickly covered her mouth again.
“What if I say this is all a misunderstanding? Would you believe me?”
【Morality…】
【……】
The system suddenly exploded with a long stream of text.
But Fia had no time to look.
From the expression in Lorinna’s eyes, she could already see her tragic ending.
Where is the restart button? Someone save me!
Unlocking the bath CG should send me back to the main menu, shouldn’t it?
I’ll spend money. I’ll pay!
But reality was not a game.
Through the thin blanket, Fia could clearly feel Lorinna’s heartbeat.
Of course, that might also be because Lorinna’s natural endowment was… rather small.
Her heartbeat was extremely strong.
She was definitely furious.
Fia tried desperately to recall Lorinna’s character settings.
First—she was born poor and had been rescued by the Saintess from slave traders before being brought into the Church.
Useless information.
Second—she liked red and white, loved afternoon tea, and enjoyed sweet cookies with a hint of salt.
None of those things were here.
Only bathwater.
Third—she appeared domineering on the surface, but secretly enjoyed being dominated, longed to break rules, and held special feelings toward the Saintess.
That was it.
Fia’s eyes hardened with determination.
She had to gamble.
Either way she might end up unlocking another CG.
Might as well try to change the character model first.
Lorinna felt the hand covering her mouth loosen.
She was just about to scream and accuse this woman of improper behavior.
Then she would tear apart the Saintess’s carefully maintained facade in front of everyone who came running.
“I—mm—”
The soaked blanket slipped aside.
A warm, slender body suddenly wrapped around her.
They were extremely close.
Lorinna could feel the powerful heartbeat of the person holding her.
One hand supported her head.
The other pressed against the wall.
Their legs overlapped slightly, creating a subtle inward pressure.
Warm breath brushed against her ear, carrying a fragrance like orchids in a quiet valley.
“Lorinna… actually, I like you.”
The words dropped like a massive stone into a deep lake.
Endless ripples spread outward.
“…Eh?”
***
Fia sat beside the fireplace.
Her outer clothes were soaked and lay folded together with the blanket. She was recharging a magically enhanced iron to slowly erase the traces she had created.
Water was still running in the bathroom.
Lorinna was bathing again.
This time she was not singing.
And she had been washing for a very long time.
She refused to let Fia leave.
Fortunately, it was currently the time when most maids were free to move around. Thanks to Lorinna’s poor reputation, no one had come down this hallway.
Just when Fia began to wonder whether Lorinna had fainted inside the bathroom, the door opened.
Lorinna stepped out once again.
Her expression had returned to calm.
As if nothing had happened, she walked over to Fia and began dressing.
“I…”
Fia had already prepared her explanation.
The speech she crafted matched Lorinna’s personality settings perfectly.
It should have been persuasive.
But Lorinna showed no interest in listening.
After putting on her outer robe, she walked to the bedside, opened the hidden compartment, and retrieved the red fragment.
Then she casually tossed it into Fia’s arms.
“Your Holiness came for this, didn’t you?”
“If there’s nothing else, please leave. Don’t worry—I won’t tell anyone. That would not benefit me either.”
Her voice was cold.
Stiff.
Fia sighed.
Looks like she had miscalculated.
Game settings could not be trusted completely.
She stood up and left. Not through the door. Instead, she slipped out through the window using stealth.