Chapter 38: The Puppet Wants To Be A Normal Girl?
Chapter 38: The Puppet Wants to Be a Normal Girl?
The ambient hum of the academy grounds did little to soothe the deep, thrumming ache in my muscles. Last night had been an absolute dream, and my newly acquired spell, Cure Mental Fatigue, was nothing short of a divine blessing for my mind. Unfortunately, the system description omitted a crucial detail: it did absolutely nothing for physical exhaustion.
After a quiet dinner—which Thorin skipped entirely to attend his grueling Knight Training—I had slipped away to Shade’s quarters. She was waiting for me in her absolute favorite attire, the exact black lace bra and panty set I had admired earlier. Her invitation to bed was impossible to refuse. My usually quiet, frosty wife transformed into an unquenchable, passionate force of nature the moment the sheets pulled shut, leaving me entirely reluctant to break away from her warm embrace.
When I finally managed to slip away to Sylvia, her approach was entirely different. Due to her early pregnancy, she wanted nothing more than a single, tender session of lovemaking. Afterward, she had me hold her tightly through the late hours, using my chest as a pillow while she meticulously reviewed duchy reports and worked straight through until dawn.
By morning, the domestic dust had settled. Thorin finally stopped hiding his face and joined us for breakfast, sharing a brief meal before the wives departed via a synchronized teleportation matrix. It was the final day of the academy week. Tomorrow, we would finally earn our single, coveted day of rest.
Down at the campus stables, the morning air was crisp, but the scene awaiting us was entirely unexpected. Mentally, I had braced myself for Ayala. I fully expected the towering Amazon to swoop in and carry me away caveman-style to her arena. Instead, a completely different woman stood blocking our path—and she wasn't waiting for Thorin.
"Good morning, Sir Loki, Sir Thorin," Princess Lana said, her voice smooth and perfectly rehearsed. "It was entirely unexpected to cross paths with you here."
Just behind her, a royal carriage driver was carefully backing his transport into a staging stall. Lana tried to paint it as a casual coincidence, but I wasn't buying it. No, I thought, suppressing a smirk. She definitely waited for us.
Beside me, Thorin shifted on his feet. Even though my brother was well aware of the bizarre, unspoken dynamic between Lana and me, a flicker of hope still burned in his eyes. He desperately wanted to earn the favor of the Princess. In this life, Lana was the second of three designated 'sins' sent to test our brotherly bond. Envy had already struck its blow, Lana was actively weaving her web, and the third trial had yet to show its face.
"Princess Lana," Thorin said, looking past her shoulder into the empty carriage. "Your brother doesn't seem to be accompanying you this morning. Is he alright?"
Lana had intentionally used the classic excuse of needing a restroom to send her insufferable half-brother packing. Smiling with a cute, angelic innocence that completely masked her deception, she looked directly at Thorin. "He actually rushed off to find you, Sir Thorin. You must have just missed him. If you hurry, you can probably catch him near the main gate."
Hooked by the fake flattery, a wide grin broke across Thorin’s face. He turned to me, completely oblivious. "Alright, I'll go hunt her brother down real fast. Just wait here a second!"
The moment Thorin sprinted away, his boots kicking up dust, Lana let out a quiet snicker. "My brother had a five-minute head start," she whispered, her eyes dancing with mischief. "He won't be back anytime soon. Come on, Loki. Let's get to Summoner class before you get kidnapped by someone else."
I sighed internally, laying the blame entirely on Ayala for sleeping in and being too passive this morning. Still, Summoner class was exactly where I needed to be. I had to read ahead on the 4th Circle Western Summoner magics before our expedition into the Secret Realm. Those specific spells were explicitly three times harder to master than standard circles. Lana meant well, and since I already intended to head that way, I figured I could always survive a beating from my Amazon instructor later in the day.
Falling into step, we maintained the exact, respectable distance expected between a commoner and royalty as we walked toward the lecture halls.
Behind us, Yin Meng and Lana’s personal maid followed at an identical, disciplined distance.
For a few minutes, the silence between us grew heavy. Lana clearly had something weighing on her mind, her fingers nervously twisting the fabric of her uniform. Finally, she spoke in a hushed, strained whisper.
"Except for Summoner class... my adoptive mother, Queen Angelica, has officially pulled me from every single course we shared, Loki. She’s... not my real mom, you know."
I nodded slowly, having already anticipated the move. "Then I'm guessing your schedule has been packed with classes alongside my brother, Thorin."
Lana bit her lip, looking down at the cobblestones.
"It’s because Vali noticed how actively involved you've become with me," I warned her softly, keeping my eyes fixed straight ahead. "I told you about the risks of getting too close. The more interest you show, the harder they will push you away. At this rate, losing the Summoner class entirely isn't off the table. You have to learn to mask your emotions, Lana. Otherwise, they'll control every square inch of your life." I paused, letting out a heavy breath.
"Also... my brother is genuinely falling for you. I see the way he looks at you. I love my brother, Lana. When he sees you looking at me like that, it's going to break him."
She pouted instantly, instantly recognizing the boundaries I was forcing between us, even though she knew exactly how I felt about her. "I already told you, I won't like Thorin anymore. I like... well, you know it in your heart, bad guy."
Stopping just outside the courtyard, I turned to face her, my expression dead serious. "Let's play a game of pretend. Let's say we live in a perfect world. I confess that I like you, I openly court you, and I completely ignore the growing hope my brother holds for you. What do you think Queen Angelica Cross would actually do to me?"
Lana froze. Her mind had never wandered past the simple fantasy of 'I like Loki,' completely blind to the dangerous reality of my secrets. As the realization set in, her imagination painted a vivid picture of her adoptive mother arranging a quiet, fatal 'accident' for me. Tears welled up in the corners of her blue eyes.
"Loki, I am so sorry..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why can't I just like who I like? I don't want to be a puppet. I don't want to be a Princess, or a tool, or even a human... I just want to be an ordinary girl."
Looking at her, a powerful urge struck me to reach out, ruffle her beautiful golden hair, and pull her into a tight hug to chase away the dread. But the surrounding courtyard was too open.
"Stop crying," I said, my voice firm but gentle. "Tears won't fix the board state. Silly girl, I already told you how to overcome this world. Get stronger. Summon more familiars to back you up. Once you have enough power, you can walk sideways through the Kingdom of Myst and no one will dare touch you."
We reached the threshold of the classroom, and her small fists tightened at her sides. She looked up at me, a sudden, desperate intensity in her gaze.
"Loki... if my secrets are exposed, will you take me in? If I'm locked away in a tower, will you rescue me? If I'm completely broken, will you love me?"
Holy hell, I thought, a sweatdrop practically forming on the back of my neck. This girl is dialing the drama up to an eleven. I couldn't help but curse the universe internally. (This world had literally been engineered by the Gods using the absolute structural laws of a high-stakes Dating-Sim.)
"Hey, I'm just Loki," I replied, offering a faint, self-deprecating smile. "I can only promise to do my absolute best. Though, if you were just a commoner like me, things certainly would be a whole lot easier."
A sneaky, demanding glint suddenly replaced the sorrow in her eyes. "Then do just one thing for me, and I promise I will pour every single second of my free time into becoming stronger. I'll even ignore you in public." She stepped closer, her voice barely a breath. "Just tell me you love me. Just once."
My heart hammered against my ribs. The sudden shift caught me completely off guard. Darting a quick glance around the corridor to ensure no unwanted ears were lurking, I decided to bite the bullet. If it took a sappy motivation to keep this stubborn girl alive and grinding levels, so be it.
Lowering my pitch, I leaned in and let the embarrassing, romantic clichés flow. "I love your golden hair, your blue eyes, your absolute inability to tell a lie, and the sheer passion you have when you pursue what you want. You really are adorable, Lana. I love..." I paused, a smirk tugging at my lips. "...well, you know it in your heart, bad guy."
For a second, I felt exactly like a high schooler confessing to a varsity cheerleader—a memory from my past life that had ended in a very polite, very painful rejection.
Lana's smug, expectant smile instantly froze. The wording hit her like a physical wave, the familiarity of her own phrase throwing her completely off balance. I simply shrugged. "If you get stronger, I'll tell you that every single morning. Let's go."
Lana stood paralyzed, feeling entirely played. I hadn't technically uttered the literal words 'I love you' out loud, but as the underlying implication of what 'every morning' actually meant finally clicked in her mind, her face erupted into a brilliant crimson. She refused to look at me, keeping her eyes glued to the floor as we crossed the threshold into the Summoner class.
Neither of us noticed the pair of gleaming yellow wolf eyes watching intently from the deep shadows of the hallway, recording every syllable spoken between the commoner and the princess.
Lana proved true to her word. Throughout the lecture, she intentionally chose a seat further away, though she positioned herself where she could still quietly watch me pore over the 4th Circle spell books. In front of her sat a stack of 3rd Circle texts; she had already completely memorized the 2nd Circle and was primed for her breakthrough tomorrow.
The moment the dismissal bell rang, Prince Vali was already waiting out in the corridor. Lana packed her things, completely ignoring my existence as she offered her brother a bright, flawless smile and walked away with him.
I gave a small, internal nod of approval. It was the perfect shield. I wanted nothing more than to protect that pure heart of hers from the political filth she had been dragged into since the day we met. The affection I felt for Lana wasn't like the raw, complicated desire I shared with the other women currently dominant in my life; it was reminiscent of the very first, pure romance I had experienced back on Earth. I couldn't even fathom the idea of taking her to bed—it was the kind of love that just wanted to hold her close and assure her that things would eventually look up.
As the siblings departed, I forced my features into a deeply dejected, longing expression, making sure Vali caught sight of my misery to sell the act.
Walking out toward the courtyard with Yin Meng, she glanced up at me curiously. "Master, why are we bypassing the academy dining hall today?"
I reached down, taking her hand in my left, and offered a genuine smile as I pointed toward the massive iron front gates. "Going in there means getting pulled away from my Meng'er. Today, I'm taking you out to that little sandwich shop on the outer street for an actual date. Let's go, my Meng'er!"
Despite being a significantly older, battle-hardened warrior woman with a usually stoic disposition, a brilliant blush crept up her cheeks as I gently dragged her along. Every day, Yin Meng made her gratitude clear, entirely because I treated her as a legitimate lover rather than a mere summoned tool.
After lunch, I bypassed my remaining Summoner and Magic lectures entirely, heading straight toward the specialized Amazon Appreciation course.
As I walked into the training grounds, Ayala was in the middle of directing a handful of elite Knight students toward the changing facilities. Her piercing green eyes locked onto me instantly.
"Good. You actually showed up to train seriously," the towering, six-foot-four warrior woman said, her fiery red hair catching the afternoon light. In my mind, the memory of the shared shower we had enjoyed earlier made her look entirely more alluring. "Go change in the far room. It’s your permanent locker room from now on."
"Will do. Thanks, Teacher," I replied, my eyes lingering a bit too long.
Reading my gaze instantly, Ayala’s expression shifted into something intensely serious, adopting her strict instructor persona. "Loki... from the moment this class starts until the final bell rings, I am not your woman. I am your trainer, your enemy, and your support. Keep those soft human feelings locked tightly away, or you will leave this arena broken. In real battle, emotions only slow you down. They get you killed. Understand?"
The sheer weight of her intent caused my lingering lust to instantly evaporate, replaced by a profound wave of respect. "I understand, Teacher Ayala!"
The moment the words left my mouth, her serious demeanor cracked. She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as her eyes narrowed in a distinctly predatory, perverted way that only a true man of culture could fully appreciate. "But... once we get thoroughly sweaty, I’ll let you clean me off in the private showers."
Just like that, my lust reignited at full blast, and my respect for her shot through the roof. Leaving her with a twitching lip while she watched me flee with a smug, victorious laugh, I bolted for the changing room.
Thorin arrived shortly after, and we were paired up as training partners due to our unique status as dual-element users. To my immense surprise, Ayala had actually secured a dedicated high-tier Healer woman for her arena, alongside a specialized fighting platform array designed to completely prevent lethal damage. Because of those safeguards, our sparring matches were held at full, unrestricted intensity.
I was repeatedly forced to practice the intricate aura-pathing techniques required to spark the Ground Stomp Vanguard ability. While the system wouldn't allow me to actually execute the physical maneuver until I consumed the high-grade bone-forging serum to advance my skeleton, Ayala was already preparing to personally supervise that agonizing advancement process next week.
Patter, patter.
I had slipped into the shower stalls first, actively scrubbing the grime and sweat from my skin. Lathering up with the local soap, I couldn't help but marvel at the formula. The current King had famously 'invented' this specific soap, leveraging a classic, highly lucrative money-making scheme to secure vast wealth and attract high-tier women. The guy has to be an American or an Asian novel reader from Earth, I mused, rinsing off. (He’s playing into every stereotypical transmigrator trope perfectly, completely forgetting about the other awesome countries that absolutely love that kind of stuff.)
Just as I began to wonder if my instructor had stood me up, the heavy click of the outer door echoing through the steam signaled her arrival. The deadbolt slid home.
"Ayala?" I called out over the rushing water.
"Yeah," her voice boomed back from the changing stalls. "The Knights were pestering me with questions. Getting undressed now, I'll be right in."
I turned off the main valve, leaning against the tile. "Hey, Ayala... can I really love you?"
A loud, boisterous laugh echoed through the room. "Haha! You better, or I'll completely look down on you as a man, Loki. I fully expect you to handle me properly and leave me wanting more."
I cleared my throat, the steam suddenly feeling a lot hotter. "That... sounded incredibly erotic. In that case, I want to get you pregnant."
Creak.
The heavy glass shower door swung wide. Ayala stood in the frame, a wolfish, seductive grin plastered across her face as she stepped into the wet stall.
"Those words sound exactly like a traditional Amazon love confession to my ears. Then by all means, try to get me pregnant, Loki my man..."
The powerhouse of a woman prowled forward through the mist, and I stepped up to meet her, entirely ready.
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