"Ah..."
Yuriel, who had just woken up from her deep slumber, looked around her office.
The darkness had already claimed the day, so it was difficult to see her surroundings.
Summoning her mana, a ball of fire materialized in her hand, illuminating her office.
It was raining heavily.
'This smell...'
Since she didn't use her perfume, her natural fragrance spread around the closed room.
So she opened the windows of her office in order to ventilate the room.
Only then the sweet and flowery scent that permeated the room disappeared.
Sigh.
'I'm hungry...'
From the moment Yuriel left her mansion until now, she hasn't eaten anything.
But since there was tea and some cookies in her office, Yuriel lazily got up and boiled a kettle of water.
Now with a cup of fresh tea, Yuriel started munching on those old and mushy cookies.
Despite her disgust, she still needed to eat, so Yuriel dutifully ate all 7 cookies.
Fortunately, Yuriel was a light eater, so this snack satisfied her for the moment.
'...'
I have around 15 days then...
As soon as Lord Asran agrees to this arrangement, the engagement ceremony will take place, and the wedding will be held during the Academy recess.
His son was also attending the Imperial Academy.
'There's nothing I can do about it...'
With a hopeless sigh, Yuriel got up.
The young woman was already aware that in the end, she was just a tool for her family.
Nothing had changed.
So, instead of despairing, Yuriel chose to enjoy what little freedom she had for now.
Rustle...
After pondering about her hopeless future, Yuriel took off her clothes.
Although her office was located on the fourth floor, and no one would see her, she still felt embarrassed, so she transformed her mana into water and willed it to embrace her.
Elemental Wizards who can transform their mana into the original elements like fire and water are rare — After all, it wasn't for nothing that Corleone, the Elder of the Alfred Family, wanted her to receive Brutein's seed.
"Hmm..."
As the column of water coiled around her naked body, Yuriel started to clean herself.
Since the moonlight didn't reach her office, the outline of her body was involved in darkness.
But even with just this one could deduce that her body was a work of art.
Perhaps that is how a ballerina dancing underwater would look like?
'It's too dark...'
Yuriel wasn't afraid of the dark, but being naked in a dark and silent office room was a bit too much, so she lit the illuminating fire once more.
Sparkle!
With this, her gravity-defying mounds were exposed.
Alongside her smooth belly, and also her plump buttocks and wide hips, and even her womanhood that contained a single inverted triangle made of her pubic hair...
Yes, her figure was a dangerous weapon for men and women alike.
If there existed the perfect form to seduce a male, then Yuriel would be the template.
The personification of desire.
In a sense, her body was the purest form of art.
'It's my first time bathing like this...'
Yuriel held her breath as the water crawled around her body as if it were slime.
When she finished bathing, Yuriel dispelled the water and created a gust of wind to dry herself.
"Brrrr!"
The night's breeze was cold.
After heating the room with her fire, Yuriel could have dried herself with it, but she knew that this wasn't good for her skin, so she stood there shivering.
'If I stay like this...'
She would surely catch a cold.
Since she doesn't have anyone to take care of her, if she gets ill then it would be another thing added to her pile of problems.
Thinking her body was dry enough, Yuriel put on her clothes and opened the door to her office.
But just as she was about to go, her bowel announced her urgent need to relieve herself.
"Ugh..."
The corridor between her office and the bathroom couldn't be far away.
She wasn't afraid of it, but the solitude frightened Yuriel.
'Just for a little...'
She lit a weak flame.
If the flame was too bright then she would catch the attention of Imperial Knights patrolling the Academy.
'I don't want anyone catching me...'
If anyone knew that she was kicked out of her mansion and was living in her office, her pride wouldn't survive that.
Sparkle...
Relying on a tiny flame, Yuriel walked through the dark hallways and entered the bathroom.
'I think I understand how my sister felt now...'
When she was young, her sister always asked for a maid to accompany her to the bathroom at night.
Sometimes she even asked Yuriel for it.
Although she even mocked her sister, now she fully understood her fears.
'Well, there's no one here anyway...'
Maybe she could leave the door open.
After making such a decision, Yuriel entered the first stall and sat down, relaxing her body.
Psshhhh...
Aside from the rain, the only sound in this bathroom was hers.
And now, since the door was opened, Yuriel was even more embarrassed.
'Fuck, fucking hell...'
And it was all Ferzen's fault.
Yuriel cursed his name as she rushed back toward her office.
"Ah..."
Yuriel lay on the sofa and closed her eyes.
'Goodnight.'
Even though it hadn't been long since she had woken up, Yuriel fell asleep.
* * * * *
Knock.
"..."
Knock.
"..."
Knock.
Bang...
"Mnnn..."
With the insistent knocking, Yuriel woke up.
It was still raining.
Her body felt heavy and sluggish.
"Ugh..."
Yuriel barely managed to rise from the couch.
She was slightly feverish.
But Yuriel didn't know if it was because of sleeping on her uncomfortable couch or due to the cold night breeze.
Knock.
"This fucker..."
As the annoying knock continued, Yuriel looked at the clock and cursed.
"..."
8:25 A.M.
Since she had lectures planned for today, Yuriel already felt exhausted.
With haste, she fixed her hair and opened the door.
"..."
Tall.
Yuriel had to raise her head to look at him.
He had gray hair and blue eyes.
The boy, no it would be correct to call him a man since his dignified figure and discipline were striking.
"Good Morning, Professor Yuriel."
"Who..."
"My name is Geralt Ren Millien Asran."
"Ah..."
As soon as she heard his last name – Asran, Yuriel knew who the man in front of her was.
"Yesterday night the Elder informed me."
"..."
"It seems that you are in a hurry, I bought this bread with me, but please eat it when you have the time."
Yuriel was slightly nervous at the sight of Geralt, offering her what seemed to be a basket of freshly baked bread.
'How childish...'
She was already aware that this was just one more of her grandfather's games
"Also... Although it's nothing grand, I have a villa here in the capital, and since I'm currently living in the dorms, you could stay there if you need a place."
"That..."
"Ah, please feel free to call me Geralt."
"Yes. Geralt….. This is all just too sudden, I don't know what my grandfather told you, but it's a bit inconvenient to stay in the mansion."
Yuriel shook her head as she ran her fingers through her hair.
But then, she noticed the hungry gaze coursing through her body, especially at her bosom.
'...'
Disgust coursed through her body, as she realized that the reason for Geralt's gaze was also because her scent was strong inside the closed room. With a sigh, Yuriel discreetly put her arms around her bosom in a defensive posture.
"I apologize. I heard about it, but..."
Did grandfather tell him about the fruit of fragrance too?
Yuriel frowned at the thought.
"Professor."
"Yes..."
"It seemed as if I made you uncomfortable. How about we meet in the afternoon after the lectures are over, and dine together as we talk?"
"For now...Just go."
Her head was throbbing.
"I...Understand. And the bread..."
I don't want it.
I don't need it.
That was what she was about to say, but when Yuriel saw Ferzen and Euphemia walking side by side, she bit her lip and snatched the basket from his hands.
"Thank you."
Thud!
She closed the door.
Recalling his encounter with the second daughter of Alfred, Yuriel, and her lewd body, Geralt walked away.
It was a brief encounter, but it left a strong impression on Geralt.
Perhaps her scent still remained in his clothes...
Geralt sniffed his sleeves in such hopes, but... He shook his head dejected.
"Ah..."
As he walked, he encountered Ferzen, and with a polite smile, he greeted him.
"Good morning, Professor Ferzen."
"...I've never seen you here before."
"I'm Geralt Ren Millien Asran."
Asran, Asran...
The son of the Lord of the North?
Ferzen chuckled.
There were only 2 people who knew of 'Brutein's true goal' of using Louerg as a proxy to interfere with the North.
And those were the Emperor of Ernes and his daughter Elizabeth, the First Imperial Princess.
If he knew about their plan, would he have greeted Ferzen this way?
The fewer people knowing about this 'plan' the better it would be for Brutein.
"Geralt...Yes, I hope you have a good morning as well."
"Why thank you, Professor! Also, I would like to invite you and your wife for a formal meal at my villa sometime."
"A formal meal you say..."
"Yes."
Euphemia looked surprised by this invitation, but Ferzen merely smiled.
"If you excuse me, professor, my lectures will start soon."
As Geralt walked away Ferzen looked at his wife.
"It's surprising...That someone invited you...."
"..."
"Ah...I didn't mean that..."
"What did you mean then Euphemia?"
"That..."
"But you are right."
As Euphemia said, no one ever invited Ferzen.
'It could be simply a hollow invitation, but there's also the possibility that he wants to express his gratitude or....'
The Asran family did nothing to deserve his gratitude.
This could mean that something was wrong.
And if one knew something was wrong, he had the moral duty to fix it.
'An invitation... I'll surely receive it when the time comes.'
Of course, at that point, there was still the small doubt about whether Ferzen would be welcomed.