2.13.

There was an awkward tension between the two. Leticia looked perfectly healthy. Her body was still steaming from the bath she had earlier and she looked ravishing in her new nightgown. It wasn't erotic like Schwii's, but it gave her a touch of class and elegance to her entrancing figure. Her glossy green hair and hesitant heterochromic eyes only added to her allure.

"Sorry about that Sequencee, I.. needed to talk to you privately about something. Would it be alright if you entered?"

Sequencee had an inkling about what it is they would be discussing here. So he didn't deny. "Alright."

Nynim left the two to their own world with an amused expression. Leticia shut the door behind. She turned to Sequencee with one hand holding the other's arm, a bashful blush on her cheeks.

She shook her head twice and walked towards the desk and pulled out the chair.

"You can sit here. I'll sit on the bed."

"Alright."

Leticia sat with her knees facing Sequencee. She took out the note she had prepared beforehand on the off chance that she would miss out something.

'First of all, I need to make sure he's thinking straight.'

"It's about Schwii, isn't it?"

But before Leticia could speak, Sequencee made a guess. His indifferent expression pained her heart. She didn't know what that succubus did that made him so obedient but she wasn't buying it.

"Your goal was to become a hero's companion and kill The Sovereign," Leticia began, "So why are you working together with a high demon?"

"..."

"Is she your friend or foe, Sequencee? If making myself hated can make you think about things objectively, I don't care. I don't want you to get hurt."

He knitted his brows.

"I don't know what kind of childhood you two have, but if she's here to use you for her own benefit, you should be cautious."

"I am being cautious."

"How so?" Leticia's tone turned sharp.

"..."

"And that maid. She's not a normal maid, you should know that by now."

Sequencee struggled to gather the fact together. He didn't know what he could share and what he couldn't. Revealing the truth to Leticia would resolve the issue but it would also turn her into a timebomb capable of destroying Schwii's life in the academy. There's no way he could just tell her that Schwii is the ex-ruler of the demon nation Leviath.

"I'm correct aren't I? Ro and Lilian too, are they being fooled?"

"Leticia, would you rather I have left this academy?"

"..."

"I get that she's suspicious, but she's also the reason why we're here now. To doubt her when she's shouldering all the costs is like biting the hand that feeds you, no?"

'There is no way they're just childhood friends. Absolutely no way..'

Seeing how obstinate Sequencee was, Leticia was powerless to provide a counter argument. Schwii was winning here. With Sequencee dancing round her fingers, Leticia was only making a fool of herself.

'If I need to, I have to dig out the truth from the devil herself.'

"Sorry," she apologized first to defuse the situation.

"I'd rather you apologize to her. Whatever."

It pained her deeply to see how much he cared about Schwii. The sprout in her heart trembled slightly. Leticia decided to move on to the next topic, knowing that it was pointless to continue.

"Are you still.. interested in becoming the hero's companion..?" Leticia asked.

"Hm? Yes."

"Risa Takashi is my friend. She's the younger sister of Shiro Takashi. Would you like me to introduce you to them?"

Leticia and the heroes were in the same class. In fact, the reason why she was able to make such a bold stand against Sequencee right now was because she had consulted Risa about this dilemma. The hero's answer was to 'push on if he's the dense type-desu!'. Of course, Leticia had to digest what those words meant for it to permeate completely into her skull.

Sequencee's expression changed into one of surprise.

So far, Judy had yet to notify him about the heroes. The most recent news he received was that she needed the approval of their guardian.

'He's still holding onto his goals.'

Leticia was certain here that she absolutely had to have Sequencee and the heroes get along. In that way, he would be shielded from anything Schwii tried to pull against him.

'Please. I don't want you to be tricked.'

"Sequencee, I'm in the same class as the heroes and the princess. It's not hard for me to ask them for a favor like this," Leticia repeated, responding to his silence.

He was about to jump the gun here by saying yes when he realized how much their relationship had changed over the past month. Leticia was no longer the person she used to be. She now had resources and connections. Taking her offer here would again mean that he was merely taking advantage of her. More so, the fact that she brought up the topic right after bringing up her concerns regarding Schwii meant that she no longer looked at him as an accomplice, but someone who needed to be incentivized to keep their relationship going.

Their relationship was no longer based on mutual understanding. Now, it felt more like a business relationship where one had to benefit the other, else it would crumble. Sequencee's heart grew cold.

'What the hell is wrong with me..'

What did he want to gain out of this? Did he see Leticia as merely a tool towards his goal? How about Schwii? What would he stand to gain from this?

'So this is.. the price I have to pay for my revenge huh?'

Sequencee resolved once more in his heart.

"I have an instructor who's trying to get in touch with the hero. If I think that she isn't able to make it, I'll have to rely on your help then," Sequencee said calmly, against the crushing guilt in his heart.

Leticia cheered silently in her heart.

"If it comes down to that, I'll be sure to help you with it."

"Thank you."

With both topics resolved, silence descended upon the room. To begin with, both Sequencee and Leticia weren't the kind of people who talked much. They communicate more through their actions than they did words.

Seeing as how things were starting to become awkward, Sequencee though to bring up his concern. Out of guilt or worry, he wasn't too sure.

"How are you coping with class? Is it difficult?" he asked.

"So-so. Because the heroes are having trouble keeping up, everyone is slowing down to match their pace."

'That's surprising.'

It belied the image Sequencee had in mind whenever someone said 'hero'.

'Perhaps they need time to grow.'

After all, Hero Rika came to this world humored as a failure. Only in the beginning, that is.

"How about the physical classes? And the magic class, how was it?"

Leticia narrated the events that transpired over the past week. There wasn't really anything notable that happened except that the heroes were showered with attention the first few days. Afterwards things began to simmer down with the heroes having chosen a few among the class to associate with– one of them being Leticia.

She had a huge problem during the physical training class. She was the only one who couldn't run ten laps in the entire group, which led to the heroes' sympathy, which led to them getting along. For the magic class, Leticia had no problems. Though, it was irrefutable that there were many more talented people in her class, she being someone in the moderate range. Nevertheless, the point here was that she managed to get along with the heroes. They supported each other through the week, which made her feel just a tad less conscious about her own inferiority. After all, she was being consoled by the hero themselves.

"Congratulations then. I'm surprised you got to enter their clique."

"It was a surprise to me too. Though.. I feel that there's a chance they would toss me aside once they find out that I'm actually not that good," Leticia laughed at herself, twirling the fringes of her grass coloured hair around her index finger.

"Imposter syndrome."

"Imposter syndrome? I don't think that's the way to put it. I'm really not as good as everyone else.."

"You're at least able to keep up."

Leticia gripped the sheets between her fingers.

"Well. It's as I said before, reassurance won't really get you anyway. I can say that you'll do fine but.. I don't know if that is really the case."

Being reassured is a temporary medicine for relief. It should not be thought of as a cure to low-self esteem. Like antidepressants, the individual themselves would need to search for a method to resolve their internal issues even when they're on the drug.

Sequencee wasn't sure if Leticia understood what he meant, but he didn't dare push Leticia too much out of fear that she might break down. As much as he understood the addictive but futile use of reassurance, it is also an essential part of communication. There are no guarantees, but the hope for a guarantee is what drives people forward. A paradox.

"Sequencee," Leticia croaked.

"Yes. What is it?" Sequencee prepared his mind for the question to come.

"..."

"..."

Leticia didn't know how to put the feelings she had in words, knowing that the possibility of Sequencee rejecting her was high. There was no guarantee in this case that he would accept it, but she wouldn't know unless she tried.

She recalled Hero Risa's words: Push on if he's the dense type-desu!

'Is he a dense person?'

For all she knew, he might've been aware of it..

'I don't know.. I really don't know..'

Confess to him the truth. Tell him her feelings. The plant inside her desperate for his light–

"Sequencee, I.."

BAng–

The two of them turned to the door.

"Sorry.." Leticia swallowed back her words and made her way over. Beyond the room was Nynim holding two glasses of wine.

"Here you go. Something to renew your parched throat," she showed a drunken, silly smile.

Leticia looked at Sequencee, he nodded out of reflex.

Leticia took the two glasses. She glanced at Nynim, wondering if she was alright after hitting her head on the door like that and passed one to Sequencee.

"Thanks."

He was about to take a sip.

"I made sure to put in lots and lots of medicine. You two enjoy yourselves in bed okay~" saying so, Sequencee halted, Nynim sauntered away.

He pulled the glass away from his lips.

Leticia's ears reddened, recalling the last time she was affected by an aphrodisiac.

"I.. didn't drink it.." She held the glass away from herself, wanting to convince him.

"Even if you did, I could use my magic to cure it," Sequencee took a sip of the wine, Leticia froze up.

"U-Uh.."

Was it a coincidence that she came at this exact time or did Nynim plan something? Either way, that interruption had broken Leticia's courage to confess.

And no, the wine hadn't been laced with any aphrodisiac.