Two fair fingers held onto a light red candy that glowed brightly in the darkness.

  Nora sat with her slender legs crossed, her fair skin veiled by a thin layer of black silk, looking like a piece of art. Her blushing cheeks and glinting eyes revealed the excitement pounding in the depths of her heart. Even her lips were curled up in mischief.

  She was truly beautiful.

  Looking at her under the dim illumination, Roel couldn’t help but gulp down a mouthful of saliva. Nora did have a fatally seductive charm, and there was no question that she was good to Roel.

  After all, in the original story, Nora told the main character, who was the prince of an empire, to lick her shoes. Just to emphasize once more, it was not even her legs but her shoes. But over here, she allowed Roel to lick her fingers. It was obviously preferential treatment…… somewhat.

  Was Roel moved?

  Looking at the beauty who was tempting him like the snake in Eden’s Garden, it would be a lie if Roel said that he wasn’t moved…… It was tempting to get close to Nora, but it would be a catastrophe for a villain like him!

  Roel hadn’t forgotten what his current position was. He was still in the midst of pulling out his death flags, so he was compelled to make different decisions from the original Roel. It was always better to be on the safer side.

  “You can keep it. I’m not going to eat it.”


  Roel turned his head away as he replied with an impassive tone. Not understanding Roel’s reaction, Nora frowned in incomprehension.

  “Why? You obviously look very moved.”


  “Haa? Who are you saying is moved? Stop talking nonsense. Besides, did you even wash your hands? I’m not fond of eating things that others have held in their hands.”


  “Of course I’ve washed my hands! Are you really not going to eat it?”


  “Yes.”


  Roel’s response displeased Little Miss Angel. She began complaining under her breath.

  “I don’t understand. Why are you so opposed to me? You wouldn’t even eat the sweet that I unwrapped for you.”


  “Is the main point the sweet? You just want to see me lick the sweet because it’s in your hand!”


  Roel’s accusations brought a slight hint of embarrassment to Nora’s face. She quickly averted her eyes.

  “S-sweets are important! They are blessings for the new year!”


  “Then why don’t you give them to me directly?”


  “Hm? Mister Roel, are your hands clean? Somehow, I seem to recall that you are a person who is obsessed with hygiene.”


  Nora mocked him with his own words. Roel could only awkwardly retract his already outstretched hand.

  “You can wrap the wrapper around the sweet first, before passing it to me.”


  “I’ve already thrown away the wrapper.”


  “Toss it directly into my mouth then.”


  “.…… Huh?”


  “You’re already at Origin Level 5, but you can’t even aim a throw properly?”


  “Tsk. Fine. Open your mouth wide then.”


  Nora clicked her tongue in displeasure as she tossed the sweet into Roel’s mouth.

  Roel sucked on the sweet as he looked at the defeated golden-haired girl with a triumphant smile on his lips.

  Heh, you wish to fight with me? Wait a hundred years more!

  Roel was gleeful to have won a battle, but before he could fully relish in his victory, a smile suddenly crept onto Nora’s face. She placed her hand on her cheek and spoke words that utterly crushed every bit of his happiness.

  “Is this the joy of feeding a pet?”


  “Cough! What……”


  “You looked so adorable when you caught my sweet. It was like a dog biting down on a ball.”


  “The hell! You fooled me?!”


  Having been messed with by Nora, veteran actor Roel felt as if he had been deeply humiliated. On the other hand, Nora nodded her head in satisfaction.

  “Actually, this isn’t too bad either. I do enjoy this quite a bit. Let’s do it again next time.”


  “Next time your head! Don’t even dream about it!”


  “Mm, your looks of frustration are not bad too.”


  Damn it! I can’t fawn on her, and I can’t get angry too. Why is this lass so hard to deal with?

  It was sweet on the tip of his tongue, but bitter in the depths of his heart. He felt so frustrated that he could burst right into tears, but Nora would probably just enjoy the show if he were to do so.

  Tsk. Forget it. I shan’t get angry. Calm down. Calm down!

  After finally calming himself down, Roel leaped down from his bed and left the room. Nora also stood up and followed suit.

  “You woke up at a good time. It’s about time for dinner, so let’s eat together.”


  Nora proposed with the intention of making up with him.

  Employing the carrot and the stick, huh? Do you think I’ll be bribed that easily?

  Roel snorted coldly, thinking nothing of her goodwill.

  “I’ve brought the royal chefs with me. The ingredients are fresh too.”


  “Let’s head over right away!”


  As a certified foodie, Roel could hold a grudge against anything except food. As compared to throwing a tantrum against Nora, stuffing his mouth with delicacies was simply far more important. So, the two of them moved to the dining room, got into their seats, and readied themselves for a ride of exquisite flavors.

  Black pearl caviar from the Northern Sea, lamb meat from Hyde Plateau, and all sorts of famed ingredients were presented one after another, bringing euphoria to Roel’s tongue and sending it to new highs. It was a meal more magnificent than anything he had experienced.

  The most valuable dish of the entire dinner was the golden truffle from the Great Pokhla Forest. It had an outer appearance that was as brilliant as gleaming gold, but when one cut into it, its white lustrous flesh would be revealed. Its deep and unique aroma provided an explosion of flavor that would easily satisfy any gourmet.

  Due to that, the golden truffle had always been ranked within the top three delicacies of the Sia Continent. It was so valuable that even the Ascart House would struggle to afford it.

  The conditions for the growth of one of these golden truffles was so extreme that it was impossible to cultivate it. As such, the amount produced every year was extremely limited. Most of it was already consumed internally within the Pendor Kingdom itself, where the Great Pokhla Forest was located, and the amount that was exported was only enough to distribute a set to the royalties all over the continent.

  That went to show just how valuable this ingredient was. If not for Nora, Roel might have never been able to eat it in his lifetime.

  The golden truffle was lightly grilled using a flavorless oil and then perfectly complemented by a glass of fruit wine made out of mango, honey, ginger, almond, peppermint, orange blossom, and white grapes. It was truly a culinary experience that Roel could hardly pick any flaws with.

  Too moved by the delicacies, Roel’s eyes narrowed in bliss as his pupils twinkled with delight. The golden-haired girl sitting across from him smiled in amusement at the sight.

  “You’re so hard to deal with usually…… yet it’s so easy to bribe you with good food.”


  “That depends on the quality of the food. I’m more than willing to be bribed by something of this level.”


  “Is that so? It looks like I need to be wary of Pendor in the future.”


  Nora couldn’t resist teasing a little. However, Roel disagreed with her view.

  “There’s no need for that. I’ll be holed up in my fiefdom in the future. I doubt that anyone would waste their money trying to bribe me.”


  “Hm? You still haven’t changed your mind yet? Are you really not thinking of joining the military like Uncle Carter?”


  “For a weakling like me who is unable to advance beyond Origin Level 6, there’s no meaning in joining the military.”


  “There’s more to the military than fighting battles. You can always join as an advisor or a consultant. Due to the courage you showed in protecting Alicia from Bron and his cronies, most of those in the military have high hopes for you, you know?”


  Nora’s words surprised Roel. He didn’t think that his desperate brawl with Bron would actually bring about such an effect. Given that the roots of the Ascart House lay within the military, it wasn’t too bad for things to turn out that way. If true, a military career might just work out very well for him.

  Should I give it a try?

  Roel was a little moved after hearing Nora’s suggestion, but all of a sudden, he noticed the hidden twinkle in her eyes.

  Wait a moment, this isn’t right! Isn’t Nora training at the Holy Knight Order?

  Crap, I’m falling for her ploys again!

  “I’m grateful that they think of me in such a light, but I’ll have to pass. I’m a cripple without any ambition, so I ask of you not to waste your efforts on me.”


  “Hmph, I can’t even persuade you this much, huh? How obstinate.”


  Seeing that her plans had failed, Nora sighed deeply for a moment before suddenly smiling to herself once more.

  “But, it matters not. We have plenty of time ahead of us.”


  It wouldn’t be fun if a game ends too quickly, right?

  Just like that, Nora and Roel spent the first night of the new year in peace together.