Ethan skipped lunch before heading to the castle's medic bay. Who knew what weird experiments Goldie cooked up for him? Even discussing them might make food rise up his throat. She was a suspicious character to be wary of.
Unluckily or luckily, Goldie was absent from her office. "The Grand Healer had to leave urgently for Gulchtown with the Countess," the head nurse, Helga, told him. "As soon as she returns, I'll let her know the heir was looking for her."
Ethan wondered if it was natural for the Grand Healer to accompany the Countess of Fondel. As the County's leader, she might sometimes need medical aid, but any competent healer could address that. Why would Velma take such an important personality like Goldie with her, who had more important work like research and critical patients?
"Let me know when she returns," Ethan replied and turned to leave.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Helga exclaimed suddenly. "She left something for you."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Something for me? A gift?"
The head nurse entered the nearest office and returned with a rectangular wooden box. "Here… The Grand Healer wanted you to have this."
"What is it?" the boy asked warily. The last time he encountered Goldie, her tail sprayed him with powerful aphrodisiac pheromones. He became sex-crazed, assaulting the bunny girl before getting sedated by an antidote. It would be unwise to accept gifts from such a dangerous woman.
"I don't know the box's contents, Young Count," Helga replied. "The Grand Healer sealed it with temporal magical adhesive. It will open after eight tonight. But considering her position, it must be medicine for you or your sister."
Ethan accepted the wooden box reluctantly and headed towards Hilda's office. He'd deal with Goldie's gift later at night.
"Did my mother send any messages from Gulchtown?" he asked the Constable.
"Not yet…" she replied. "I am waiting for the same."
"Do we have cause for concern?"
Hilda shook her head. "Not at all, Count Cromwell. Sometimes, messages are delayed because of bad weather. The Countess must have reached Gulchtown and may be exhausted from the trip. She and her entourage may be resting. Perhaps we'll receive an update in the evening."
Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He had planned to speak to Velma about the tutors' situation before deciding whether to hire the dubious pair. How was he going to deal with them now?
The boy next went to the guest quarters to check on Athena and Beatrix. They were absent from their allocated rooms. Why did he get the strange feeling that everyone was dodging him?
Ethan left a letter in their rooms, instructing them to wait longer for the teacher hiring verdict. He had yet to speak to Velma, without whom he couldn't make up his mind. They were free to use the castle's dining and lodging facilities for another day. The homeless duo had nowhere else to go anyway.
Ethan spent some time in the library before returning to his room. Even though he received a few endearing looks from hot maids, scullions, and guards, the rest of the day was mostly inconsequential as far as romance was concerned.
The boy didn't run into any other desirable women he wanted to court or dominate. The Cromwell heir marked the end of another lonely day. It was late evening by the time he reached his quarters. He was exhausted and took a warm shower before getting into bed early.
Ethan sat down with Goldie's mysterious box in his lap. He had waited past nine o'clock so that the magical adhesive would dissipate. But was it worth the risk of opening the Grand Healer's gift? What if the contents turned him into a sex-crazed loony again?
Ethan mustered courage and finally went for it. The cover opened easily as if it had never been sealed. Inside were six vials with shimmering liquids. Three of them were blue, while the rest were red.
The boy read the labels—the blue vials said 'Antidote—Xtra power', while the red ones said 'Poison—Relapse'. Ethan sat back in his bed, staring at the strange liquids.
He recalled Goldie showing him the blue antidote the previous day. Naturally, it was meant to curb his sexual urges and prevent an erection. That, in turn, would prevent the Chaste Devil's curse from triggering. The concoction would prevent the three-hour clock from activating in the first place.
What was the red poison supposed to be, though? Why would Goldie send him poison anyway? Judging by the name and color, weren't the contents supposed to be avoided?
Ethan sighed and put all six vials in his inventory. He would have ample time to experiment with the bunny girl's gifts the following day. He was more concerned about Velma, who was supposed to have sent an update message from Gulchtown by now. Was she okay?
The boy strangely missed his mother. Even though Earth Ethan was technically an alien, his body was still biologically Velma's son. Perhaps the woman's absence affected him on a spiritual level.
Nah! The Cromwell heir missed the Countess' voluptuous body—her curvy hips, thicc legs, and Hooters breasts. He could spend hours with his face buried in the latter. Whether it was lap or bosom, Velma was a comfort destination.
The boy was reminded of the momentary brush of their lips in the Countess' office. How cinematic and arousing was that?!
Ethan curbed his intrusive thoughts, afraid they would lead to an erection. He had no intention of using one of the blue vials moments after receiving them. The antidote was to be used as a last resort.
Ethan pulled back the bedcovers and settled into a sleeping position. As far as Velma's welfare was concerned, perhaps Hilda would receive a message in the morning.
'I hope Mom is okay,' Ethan thought longingly, closing his eyes. 'Have I started caring about her? Nah! She's just an NPC—a supporting character… Still…'
The boy did not realize when he drifted off to sleep. It was late at night—a quarter past three, to be exact when Ethan's slumber was disturbed. Scuffling in the walls and then shuffling in the cupboards woke him up.
The Cromwell heir's eyes fluttered open. The lights were switched off, and it was almost pitch dark inside. The only illumination came from under his bedroom door from the royal corridor.
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Ethan could see the outlines of a cloaked figure stepping out of his closet onto the bedroom carpet. His childhood fears were triggered immediately. Did the fantasy world of Promiscua have a boogeyman? Ghosts? Evil spirits?
Ethan held his breath, trying to calm himself down. Regardless of the entity haunting him, he was no longer a defenseless kid. The boy opened up his system interface.
[Skill: Ghost hands] [00:30]
About one-third of his MP bar was depleted. Two phantom arms emerged from his body. Ethan extended the left towards his bedside lamp and hovered the other over the creeping intruder.
Click! Rustle! Coordinating both ghost hands perfectly, he switched on the lamp and snatched away the hood.
As his room was suddenly illuminated, the Cromwell heir expected a strange, scary face snarling back at him under the cloak. His expectations were completely wrong since the intruder's face was rather pleasant and familiar. It belonged to none other than his little sister, Gwen!
Ethan was genuinely shocked that the youngest Cromwell girl was lurking in his bedroom. Moreover, she was wearing a flimsy night-top and shorts.
Even though the sight of her nightly avatar was wondrous and arousing, a more significant problem presented itself. Gwen was visibly shocked by the invisible hand that switched on the lamp and removed her cloak. Shaken, the girl opened her mouth to scream.
It was a natural reaction to being assailed by invisible forces. However, if Gwen was allowed to unleash her voice, Ethan would be in serious trouble.
Imagine the corridor guard barging into his bedroom to find the brother and sister frolicking at an odd time of the night. The scandal would go viral, ruining the Cromwell family's reputation for generations to come. Moreover, if Ivy came to know about it, she would readily slit Ethan's throat without a second thought.
Gwen did unleash her scream but found it silenced by the same invisible hand that had removed her cloak. Her brother's ghost hands were nimble and acted as fast as his thoughts could carry them.
The girl's eyes widened in terror, which, again, was a natural reaction. Ethan jumped off the bed and shushed her. "What you feel on your face is my defensive magic…" he whispered. "Don't resist…"
"In three seconds, I am going to let go," the boy added, taking his sister's hands. "Don't scream. Nod if you understand."
Gwen's eyes remained wide, but she nodded nonetheless. Ethan released his ghost hands and let them dissipate. He suddenly realized the phantom material was more rigid than last time. Leveling up had upgraded the jelly-like ghost hands into a more durable material.
"Breathe… Breathe…" the Cromwell heir cooed his hyperventilating sister. "It's alright… Everything's fine…"
Gwen finally calmed down and sat down on his bed. "What are you doing in my room?" Ethan asked with furrowed brows. "Are you trying to get me into trouble? Is this revenge for earlier today?"
Gwen shook her head innocently. "I'm sorry… The way things ended with Ivy, it was so heartbreaking… She wouldn't let me come talk to you… But I desperately wanted to… I had to wait until Ivy fell asleep…"
Her brother sighed and nodded. "We can talk, but this is not the right place or time. The castle guards are patrolling the royal corridor. What if one of them heard you?"
"I never thought about that…"
"How did you get into my room, anyway? I always bolt the door from the inside."
Gwen raised an eyebrow as if Ethan asked a ridiculous question. "Have you forgotten the secret passage?"
The boy racked his brain, and the memory popped up immediately. There was a narrow tunnel connecting all the rooms of the castle. Ethan, Gwen, and Ivy discovered it when they were little and used it as their play location for several years.
As the siblings grew up and developed hostility towards each other, they forgot about the passage. The children became too big to fit inside anyway, and it was a wonder how Gwen could still slide through it at her age. Perhaps it was underestimated how flexible girls could be.
Ethan was about to discipline his sister when he heard footsteps in the royal corridor. The alert guards heard something! He lunged towards his bedside lamp and extinguished it. However, the actions came too late.
The clang of armor sounded outside, and heavy footsteps were accompanied. There was a knock at the door. It must be one of the castle guards posted for his protection.
"Young Count!" the guard called out urgently. "Are you okay? I heard sounds and voices from inside your bedroom! Open the door!"