Chapter 159: Looks Can Often be Deceiving.
Jake fluttered slightly, caught off guard by the sudden closeness and the genuine praise.
"O-oh...? Thank...?"
As she stood that close, he caught a faint scent from her... clean, cool, and refreshing, like a gentle ocean breeze.
Aria’s blue eyes remained locked on him, still serious... yet there was a clear spark of curiosity behind them.
"What sword style are you using?" she asked without hesitation. "The way you shifted your weight and controlled the tempo... it didn’t look like any common school I’ve seen."
She took a small step closer, her tone calm but filled with genuine interest.
"Did you learn it from someone, or did you develop it yourself? And earlier, when you forced that opening... was that intentional, or instinct?"
Her questions kept coming, one after another, like she had been holding them back the entire time.
Jake felt a bit nervous for some reason.
This beautiful woman with the serious face was suddenly leaning in so close, her clear blue eyes fixed on him as she asked question after question.
Before he could answer, Vivian reached out, grabbed Aria by the collar of her maid uniform, and sighed.
"That’s enough. Don’t act so rude in front of Jake."
She firmly pulled the blue-haired maid back a few steps.
"Sorry about that," Vivian said, glancing at Jake with an apologetic look. "She gets like this whenever she sees good swordsmanship."
Vivian turned to Aria.
"Go call the others and have them clean up the training ground."
Aria nodded once, gave the same elegant and serious bow, then turned and walked away without another word.
Jake watched her leave before glancing at Vivian.
"...She’s... very unique."
Vivian smiled slightly.
"Yes. I found her by accident inside a random barrel floating on the sea. When I opened it, she was just sitting there. I thought it was fate, so I took her in and gave her a job... because she didn’t seem to know anything useful for getting work, or have any particular skills... except her strange excitement and obsession with swords."
Jake blinked.
"...A barrel?"
He stared at her for a moment, still processing what she just said.
Then Vivian glanced at her watch and let out a soft sigh.
"Ah... I have a meeting soon. Excuse me."
She turned and began walking back toward the manor, waving lightly over her shoulder.
"You two can rest for the rest of the day."
Jake stood there, still processing everything that had just happened.
Aria’s strange class... the barrel story...
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Then he felt something behind his back.
Slowly, he turned around.
Grace was standing there, staring at him intently with a smile on her face.
Except... the light in her golden eyes seemed to have completely disappeared.
"...What’s wrong?" Jake asked carefully.
Grace kept smiling at him.
"It’s nothing," she said softly.
Jake let out a wry smile and reached out to gently pat her head.
Feeling his warm touch, the light in Grace’s eyes slowly returned as she pouted for a moment... then suddenly hugged his arm tightly, pressing her large, soft breasts against him without any hesitation.
Jake was a bit surprised by the sudden intimacy, but he didn’t pull away.
Instead, he welcomed the warmth of her body.
Then she looked up at him with a slight jealous pout still on her lips.
"I have decided my wish."
Jake’s eyes widened slightly.
"Oh? What is it?"
Grace looked up at him with clear resolve in her golden eyes.
"No matter what happens... I must always be your number one!"
Hearing this, Jake finally realized why Grace had been so moody earlier.
He smiled wryly and gently poked her puffy cheek, letting out a soft laugh.
"So that’s why... Of course! I promise that you will always be my number one."
Then his expression turned more solemn as he looked into her golden eyes.
"There’s no need to worry, Grace. Even if you have some doubts or fears... remember this. No matter what happens, you will always be mine. And I will never abandon you."
He said it firmly, wanting to clear any residual doubt that might still linger in her heart before it could grow into something troublesome in the future.
Hearing those words, Grace’s heart seemed to burn with affection.
The lingering fear and quiet doubts that had been hiding inside her simply... vanished.
She looked up at him with teary golden eyes, her voice soft and trembling with emotion.
"Jake..."
She was truly moved.
Seeing that look in her teary golden eyes, Jake’s desire suddenly surged for some reason.
And Grace felt it immediately.
Her gaze dropped to his pants, noticing the growing bulge.
Then a seductive smile slowly curved her lips.
She raised one hand and formed a small circle with her fingers, then brought it up to her mouth.
Softly, she pressed her tongue through the circle and looked up at him with half-lidded eyes.
"...Want to have a quickie...?" she whispered seductively.
"...!"
Jake snapped.
Without a word, he grabbed Grace’s wrist and quickly pulled her toward a secluded corner of the training grounds, away from any prying eyes.
Grace followed without resistance, letting out a soft, cute giggle as she was dragged along.
Once they reached a quiet, hidden spot in one of the storage room, Jake stopped.
Then Grace immediately dropped to her knees in front of him.
Looking up with those same hazy golden eyes, she slowly licked her lips.
_
_
_
Meanwhile, in a private meeting room.
Vivian sat with a calm, composed expression as she listened to the reports.
A man standing in front of the long table was speaking seriously.
"Lady Vivian, according to the latest information—"
Suddenly—
BAM!
Vivian slammed her hand down on the table.
The sharp sound made the man freeze mid-sentence.
He immediately looked nervous.
"L-Lady Vivian...? Did I say something wrong?"
Vivian quickly waved her hand and covered her mouth with the other, her expression still trying to remain composed.
"...No. Continue."
"O-Oh, ok!"
Even though she had just calmly replied...
... but inside, Vivian was screaming.
’Damn it...!’
She finally understood what Grace had meant earlier when she talked about "training."
’So it was that kind of training...!’
Vivian’s ears turned slightly red as the realization fully sank in.
’Truly... a Sex Fiend skill holder. Looks can often be really deceiving.’
But then Vivian’s eyes flashed for a brief moment as a serious thought suddenly rose in her mind.
’...But what if it’s really true?’
Unknown thoughts began to swirl inside her head.
She no longer paid any attention to the meeting at all.