“Another Summoner?”

Chapter 41: Queen Angelica Screwed Me?

I slid the tip of the wooden skewer across the ceramic plate, leaving a colorful pile of perfectly charred chicken, vibrant cherry tomatoes, and grilled bell peppers and white onions right in front of Lisa.

She offered a soft, genuine smile and nodded. "Thank you, Count."

"Don't thank me," I chuckled, already turning my attention to a rack of beef ribs. "It's all on your tab anyway. Eat up."

Lisa’s eye twitched. I could practically feel her internal urge to slap me. Normal, polite society dictated a standard "you're welcome," but I just couldn't help myself. She watched me tear into the ribs with a look of sheer, comedic frustration—hopelessly caught in that awkward grey area between liking me and wanting to strangle me.

What I didn't realize at the time was the significance of that moment. Unlike the other women in my life, Lisa was the very first relationship I had formed that wasn't bound by past-life souls touching in another world. This was something entirely different. A real, grounded, and genuine connection was quietly taking root.

Across the table, Thorin was aggressively chewing on a cob of salt-and-butter corn, glaring daggers at me every time I took a bite of my ribs. I made sure to eat like it was the absolute greatest delicacy on the planet, just to watch his blood boil. It was priceless.

While Celia and Thorin drifted into casual small talk, Lisa leaned in close, her breath warm against my ear. "Those look incredible. May I?" Before I could even answer, she whispered, "By the way, Loki... I didn't point you out earlier because of your Dark Elf. The Elven Kingdom views you as an Evil Summoner for cavorting with their ultimate foes."

Whoosh. Chomp.

While my eyes narrowed at the hot Elf across the room, Lisa slickly snatched a rib right off my plate. I turned my head just in time to watch her take a smug, sneaky bite, a triumphant eyebrow raised as she chewed.

I waited a beat, watching her savor the meat before dropping a line that made her entire jaw freeze. "Lady Swallow, I had no idea you were so eager to eat after me. That happened to be the exact piece I was working on. Tsk, tsk... though since it's already in your mouth, you might as well swallow it. Don't go spitting it out now."

God, I need to tape my mouth shut. The absolute garbage that spews out of me when I'm in a good mood is a hazard to society.

Gulp.

A deep crimson blush crept up her neck as she actually swallowed the bite. It was spectacular to watch. Sensing my amusement, she shot me a sharp glare, prompting me to lean back in and whisper seriously, "So, am I an official enemy of the Elves then?"

The embarrassment vanished from Lisa’s face, replaced by a conflicted expression. She shook her head, then gave a slow nod. "Probably half of the Elven population views you as a Dark Elf sympathizer. Malicious rumors are already spreading that she’s in your bed. You won't be outright attacked on sight, but you certainly won't be welcomed with open arms like Thorin."

I frowned, unable to even deny the rumors. Even if Taki Tsuki technically belonged to Shehuang’s faction, the fact that Taki was my lover was completely undeniable. And honestly? I was proud of it.

To hell with it. If I had to choose between playing nice with a bunch of stuck-up, arrogant Elves or keeping Taki Tsuki by my side, I would gladly fight the entire world for the women I loved.

I gave Lisa a firm nod to show I understood the stakes, then went right back to my meal, actively pretending I hadn't just become a political pariah to an entire fantasy race. Later, when I eventually learned that Celia and Vali were casual acquaintances, the mystery of how those rumors reached the Elves' ears would make perfect sense.

Thorin, entirely oblivious to the political weight of our hushed conversation, looked at me with confusion. He had assumed Lisa and I were just flirting, but noticed my sudden, cold indifference toward the beautiful Elf at the table. The rest of the dinner passed in relative silence, the conversations mostly bouncing between the Elf, Thorin, and Lisa. I was completely overlooked, my face and name still unknown to high elven society.

Outside the grill and bar, the night air was cool. Thorin was busy bidding an overly enthusiastic farewell to his elven conversational partner when Lisa stepped up beside me.

"Sir Loki," she asked, catching my attention. "Will you be attending my class tomorrow morning, or are you joining Princess Lana in the Summoner class?"

I noticed Thorin’s ears practically perk up to listen. I offered Lisa a small smile, entirely defying her expectations. "I'll be in your magic class first thing in the morning. I actually have a few questions about that journal you gave me. Thanks again for it."

Lisa’s eyes brightened. She had fully expected me to follow Princess Lana around like a lost puppy like every other noble male in the academy. A genuine, radiant smile broke across her face. "Wonderful. Tomorrow's lecture will focus on the geographic influences of the Life Element, specifically targeting the Orc, Goblin, and Ogre tribes of the Royal Realm. I'll see you tomorrow, Count Loki."

As the two blonde women walked away into the night, Thorin finally tore his lust-filled gaze away from the departing Elf's backside. He nudged my shoulder. "Think I've got a shot?"

"Best of luck, buddy," I laughed, walking ahead. "Just make sure to book an appointment for cosmetic elf-ear surgery before you ask her out. Might actually bring your odds above zero."

He flipped me the bird with a grin, and we made our way back home.

In a chaotic blur of training and domestic life, a full week flashed by.

The biggest news hit early: Ayala was officially pregnant. The revelation left me in a dizzying mix of absolute ecstasy and intense, terrifying nervousness. Per her schedule, she dragged me through two brutal, late-day Vanguard training sessions. The intimacy that followed those sessions was noticeably different—tender, deeply loving, and free of the frantic pressure of trying to conceive. She was just chasing her climax now. True to her word, she secured the highest-grade Royal Advancement Elixir meant for Vanguards, allowing me to successfully break through to a 3rd Circle Knight. I kept my mouth shut about the pregnancy, playing dumb and pretending she hadn't told me yet while I waited for the absolute perfect moment to drop the "Amazon baby-bomb."

Meanwhile, Queen Angelica’s hidden hand was actively working to keep Princess Lana and me apart. Our contact dwindled to almost nothing, which was entirely expected. I forced myself to be philosophical about it; if a little distance was enough to erase Lana's feelings for me, then it simply wasn't meant to be. She was young, and she had dropped her interest in Thorin the moment she met me. I had to accept the reality that I might just be a passing ship in her night.

At the academy, Teacher Lisa went completely above and beyond to make our magic classes incredibly engaging, using my questions to spark deeper discussions for the entire room. She broke down her personal realm diary in meticulous detail, ensuring we were prepared for the Royal Realm's imminent opening.

Back at the estate, Shehuang had been aggressively monopolizing my bed, especially after my grueling training days with Ayala, using her magic to deeply heal my aching body. Because Shehuang kept me entirely to herself at night, Yin Meng was officially relegated to "bathroom duties" with me after dinner. She spent the rest of her waking hours practicing Wing Chun full-time, desperate to advance her combat capabilities since her Circle level was completely stalled.

Taki Tsuki had entirely sealed herself away within her personal pocket realm. She was teetering on the edge of the peak of the 7th Circle, fiercely pushing for a breakthrough into the 8th Circle. With our immediate surroundings peaceful, it was the perfect time for her to cultivate. Sylvia and Shade were still corresponding heavily, sending their letters in massive, dated batches so they could be read chronologically.

Thorin spent the week practically glued to Vali’s side, shadowing Princess Lana like a bodyguard and drowning himself in books about noble etiquette, magic theory, and knightly duties within the capital. A few random nobles, knights, and mages sent by Vali tried to casually embed themselves in my social circle, but they were so transparently plastic that I politely brushed them off, using Ayala’s demanding training schedule as a permanent shield.

I genuinely believed I had everything under control. Until Friday afternoon arrived, and my entire world cracked.

Shehuang was in full maid-mode today. Standing right behind my chair, her index finger traced lazy, teasing circles against my back, explicitly spelling out highly inappropriate things in Eastern Common.

"Your brother is running quite late today, Master~" she purred.

"Well, on days I train with Ayala, he usually meets Vali for after-school tea," I replied, stretching my arms. "I figure that's what's keeping him."

Clop. Creak. Clop.

The distinct, ornate royal carriage that Vali and Lana used to commute to the academy rolled directly past our front gates. Shehuang’s playful demeanor instantly vanished, her brow furrowing as she stared out the window. "Loki... Thorin, Lana, and Vali are all inside that carriage. They didn't stop. In fact, I can tell they deliberately avoided looking this way."

My stomach dropped. My first instinctual thought flashed to a kidnapping, but I quickly dismissed it. Looking out toward the stables, I saw the two horses we had ridden to school today. Why hadn't he taken Brown Sugar?

Step. Step. Step.

The frantic click of high heels echoed down the stone pathway. I spun around to find Lisa Swallow sprinting toward the stables, looking entirely breathless and clutching a sealed parchment.

When she caught sight of me standing there with Shehuang, she called out frantically, "Loki! I'm so sorry, I thought you were still out training with Ayala. I'm late. Here—this is a note from Thorin!"

Seeing Lisa hand-deliver a message from my brother instantly reeked of Vali's manipulation. I kept my face neutral, offering a calm smile. "Teacher Lisa, take a breath. Why are you in such a panic?"

She didn't waste time with pleasantries. She grabbed my hand, thrusting the heavy envelope into my palm. "Thorin and Vali cornered me and asked me to ride his horse back to your estate. But Loki, I am incredibly worried for your brother."

As she caught her breath, I glanced down at the paper. The handwriting was unmistakably Thorin's. I broke the wax seal, scanning the lines as Lisa explained her anxiety. The piece instantly fell into place.

Queen Angelica was executing a textbook political assassination on my family dynamic.

"The Queen issued a sudden, official command for a private dinner with Sir Thorin," Lisa whispered, her voice tight. "Vali explicitly wanted to make sure you couldn't talk him out of going, which is why they bypassed the estate entirely and had me deliver this. I know exactly what that meeting is about."

The letter itself was a rushed apology from Thorin. He claimed the Queen's schedule was incredibly tight and unexpected, forcing them to leave without stopping. He noted he would be back late tonight or sometime tomorrow.

My fingers tightened, completely crushing the parchment into a ball. I looked up, locking eyes with Lisa. "Tell me everything, Teacher Lisa."

She lowered her voice to an absolute whisper, glancing around the courtyard. "Queen Cross just received official royal approval to select a Protector Knight for Princess Lana. I am entirely certain they are going to offer the position to your brother. Loki... this is a catastrophic move for Thorin."

I met her worried blue eyes. "Why exactly is it bad?"

Lisa swallowed hard, clearly reluctant to hurt me but forcing the truth out anyway. "If he accepts the mantle of Princess Knight, he is legally required to strip himself of his citizenship within the Sky Duchy. He will become a permanent, bound Knight of the Royal Family, entirely under the jurisdiction of the capital. You... you don't think he'll actually sign his life away, do you?"

Even Lisa, who had been raised in the capital as a child, couldn't fathom abandoning the power and independence of the northern duchy.

A sharp burst of wind aura erupted from my palm, instantly shredding the crumpled letter into microscopic confetti. "He will accept it," I said, my voice deadpan and certain. "He will absolutely accept it. He is so blinded by his desire to woo the Princess that he will willingly become the ultimate Simp."

Lisa blinked, completely derailed by the vocabulary. "What is a... Simp?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, remembering that was an Earth term. "Not important. Don't worry about the horse; Shehuang can lead Brown Sugar back to the stables later."

Lisa’s face suddenly flushed a deep, uncomfortable pink. She wrung her hands together, stepping closer. "Vali... Vali commanded me to do something else, Loki. He ordered me to use the horse as a legal excuse to infiltrate your home. He told me to get close to you... to distract you by any means necessary so you wouldn't interfere with Thorin and Princess Lana. What on earth am I supposed to do?"

The sheer scope of the trap fully materialized in my mind. I let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Ah. So taking the horse was just the narrative Vali constructed to get an academy teacher into my private quarters, right?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"And from there, you were supposed to create a scenario that made it look like you and I were having an affair, ensuring Thorin and Lana 'accidentally' discovered us to permanently destroy my relationship with both of them. Correct?"

Lisa’s eyes went wide with shock. "Yes! How did you piece all of that together so fast?"

"I know how snakes think," I muttered, rubbing my chin. "Let me guess. Did he order you to seduce me, drug my drink, or just straight-up frame me?"

She nodded numbly, an expression of profound disgust crossing her features. "Vali told me to actively become your lover, but I flatly refused to use my body as a political tool for his games. Then he told me to get you completely passed out drunk so I could lie and tell you we slept together. I refused that, too. Finally, he told me to at least find a way to make you furious at your brother so the two of you would get into a physical fight. That was his backup plan."

I looked out toward the front gates, a calculating smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Vali definitely has eyes on this estate right now. If his spies are watching, why don't you come inside and have dinner with me? I can easily set up a guest bedroom for you. We can play along, fake the entire overnight stay, and completely ruin Vali's timeline."

Lisa stunned into silence, staring at me before vigorously shaking her head. "No... no, I can't cause you real, legal trouble, Loki. I am an active academy teacher, the personal student of the President, and a grieving widow. If a scandal like that reaches the royal court, it will utterly ruin both of our reputations. I will gladly stay for dinner to keep up appearances for the spies... but I must go home afterward. Alright?"

I nodded, maintaining a straight face. Truthfully, I had absolutely no intention of letting her sleep over; I just needed to test her boundaries and gauge her true allegiance.

As I guided her toward the stable, I felt a genuine sense of relief. Despite the political web closing in around us, Lisa Swallow was exactly who she claimed to be. She was a genuinely good woman.

Now, I just had to figure out how to handle my idiot brother.

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