Chapter 357: Just follow my lead…
A crystal-clear laugh spilled from Elena’s lips, and her enormous chocolaty tits shook with the sound. Their generous weight bounced lasciviously against the tight neckline of her dress, the soft, dark flesh trembling in time with each peal of laughter.
Covering her mouth with an elegant gesture, she shook her head, her eyes sparkling with pure amusement.
"I’m just joking, sweetheart. Ethan isn’t the kind of man who would let his women sit on his lap at a public event like this... it wouldn’t be appropriate," Elena said, letting her hands rest on Seo-ah’s shoulders with an almost maternal affection.
Elena was an intelligent woman, and she surrounded herself with others like Ophelia and Arwen, all of whom knew a great deal about that world.
Though it was a closely guarded secret among them, all of Ethan’s wives already knew that he was a reincarnated soul from Earth.
They of course avoided bringing up the subject in Amelia or Ysara’s presence, since Ethan was still considering the best way to reveal the truth to her.
Elena also knew very well what Seo-ah’s position was, and what she truly was.
Still, looking at that flushed little face in front of her, all she could see was a young woman confused by her own feelings.
"Just look at how beautiful you are. Imagine how many men would throw themselves at your feet... I was once an empress in a past era, you know? Glorious were those times."
"Many men begged just for the right to kiss my feet, and yet none of them—not kings, not dukes, not emperors—were worth a centimeter of what my Ethan is worth. You’ll understand that one day, if you decide to accept him."
"M-me, accept him?"
"Yes... can’t you see how interested he is in you? My husband is such a naughty, greedy man, fufufu~"
Seo-ah shuddered, clenching her teeth.
There she was, being tempted to become the wife of an NPC by one of that very NPC’s many wives...
How low had she sunk? And why the hell did the AI in this damn game have to be so advanced?
It was something that revolted her as much as it surprised her.
During the marketing campaign for Tales of Estria, the game’s extremely realistic AI—built using real-world ultra-realistic android technologies and applied to a massive virtual environment—had been one of its most acclaimed features. Even so, it all bordered on the absurd.
In the end, all she could do was nod, looking at Elena with a gaze filled with complicated emotions.
She had a tremendously hard time treating those NPCs as anything less than real human beings.
This was, in fact, one of the most common criticisms of Tales of Estria.
Committing an unprovoked murder of an NPC, for example, prevented the player from logging out for a certain period while law enforcement was on their trail.
If captured, the player would end up in jail, lose their account, and be barred from creating another one for an entire year.
Many of those who attempted even more heinous crimes ended up facing legal consequences in real life.
Because of this, players maintained good behavior and loved the wars—the only times they could fight NPCs with a little more freedom. Even genocide was allowed, to a certain extent.
Seo-ah shook her head, pushing the pointless thoughts from her mind.
Elena linked her arm through hers, and together they continued climbing toward the carefully guarded private area reserved for Ethan’s family.
The young lord immediately noticed the two women approaching, turning his face gently toward them.
"Miss Seo-ah... it’s good to see you here... come, have a seat. Let’s not let the food get cold, hahaha," Ethan said with a smile, beckoning her closer.
Blushing to the roots of her hair, she didn’t hesitate, sitting stiffly in a chair close to him.
The rest of the event proceeded peacefully, and for the remainder of the day, she savored the fine food and enjoyed the grand spectacle in the arena.
By nightfall, after hundreds of duels between men, soldiers, and young talents, and with more than fifty beasts slain, the crowd’s voices had gone hoarse from shouting in excitement.
Of course, the celebrations were far from over.
Soon, the entire population made their way to the palace’s gigantic courtyard, where dozens of beast carcasses sizzled over open flames tended by master chefs, and where large areas had been set aside for dancing.
With good music and good meat, the people partied for hours on end.
The highlight of the evening was not the crowd’s dancing, nor the music, nor the abundant food, but rather Ethan’s dances with his wives.
The elegance and beauty of their movements enchanted everyone lucky enough to witness them.
Seo-ah was among them, but she remained reserved, especially in light of Ethan’s focus on his wives—and their focus, entirely devoted to him.
Sitting in a more secluded area, she simply sipped from a bottle of third-stage Green Fairy wine, her eyes lost in nothing in particular.
She was a little disappointed not to have had more time with Ethan, but at the same time, she was happy to have that moment to herself.
The meat was more delicious than anything she had ever tasted, and the people of Goldenveil were respectful, maintaining a courteous distance and giving her space.
With her eyes fixed on the table and the meat before her, she didn’t even notice someone approaching until a bottle of extremely expensive third-stage Green Fairy wine was gently placed in front of her.
"I don’t care who you are... I don’t want to dance, I—" Seo-ah looked up, and in the next instant, she froze completely.
It was Ethan.
He stood in front of the table, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he reached his hand out to her.
"Seriously... don’t even I have the right?" Ethan shook his head, a pained expression spreading across his face. "Ah... it’s fine, I’m used to rejection by now... at least accept this wine as a gift."
Without waiting for a response, he began to turn his back on her.
"N-no!" Seo-ah jumped to her feet, letting out a small cry.
Covering her face with her hands in sheer embarrassment, she watched as Ethan slowly turned back toward her.
"I-I want to dance with you... if you’ll let me."
With grace and gentleness, Seo-ah held out her hand to him.
He accepted it without a moment’s hesitation, wrapping her delicate fingers in his own.
Before she knew it, she found herself being pulled toward an empty dance circle.
That circle had been set up solely for Ethan and his wives.
Guards stood on all sides and Ethan’s wives remained in a reserved area right in front of the circle, watching everything with smiles on their lips.
Of course, Seo-ah noticed them.
The blush on her face deepened even further as she met those glances that practically screamed at her to be strong and seize this chance to get into Ethan’s pants.
Well, she’d be lying if she said she’d refuse to get into his pants, but that mattered little at that moment.
Ethan led her to the center of the circle and left her there, taking a step back to watch her with bright eyes.
Seo-ah had watched many dances before, so she had a vague idea of what to do. She raised a single hand toward Ethan—a small, delicate hand, white as polished jade.
He didn’t hesitate.
He bowed with all the elegance of a nobleman, his warm palm resting against hers, his lips lightly brushing the knuckles of her delicate fingers in a kiss.
Seo-ah wasn’t exactly a great dancer, but Ethan was a nobleman. He had been trained in both etiquette and dance since childhood, precisely so as not to embarrass the family at balls.
His knowledge was more than enough to guide her, and Seo-ah, being a naturally talented woman, wouldn’t need much to master the steps.
Without any hesitation, Ethan pulled her against him, applying a little more force than that step normally required.
A soft, high-pitched moan escaped her pink lips as her body collided with his firm chest.
Their bodies pressed tightly together with no space left between them. Seo-ah’s full, firm breasts crushed against Ethan’s rigid chest, those two soft mounds flattening molding to the shape of the defined muscles beneath the fabric.
"Just follow my lead..." Ethan whispered in a soft voice, one hand sliding down to rest against her slender, delicate waist.
She nodded hastily, somewhat awkwardly, her heart pounding wildly inside her chest.
The players in her guild—especially the men—could only watch the scene with heavy expressions, a mixture of shock, bitterness, and defeat etched on every face.
Who would have thought it would be an NPC from a game that would finally make Seol’s untouchable ice jewel melt?
In the end, all they could do was shake their heads and whine, especially those who had a real chance.
Well, at least Ethan, as far as they were concerned, was just an NPC in a game.