Secretly observing

[Amazing! You weren't torn to pieces!]

[It seems you were born to be an incubus!]

[After experiencing an epic battle, you've become a qualified incubus.]

[Received 20,000 points of experience for allocation.]

[Through keen observation, you discovered her weakness.]

[And with skillful rhetoric, you managed to survive!]

[Received 1,000 points of experience for allocation.]

[Nadia: Mood: Angry! Attitude: She doesn't know how to interact with you. Strategy: 30%]

Recalling the hints he received when he left the manor, Robert was extremely conflicted:

"Why... is she angry?"

"Is she regretful? Getting angrier the more she thinks about it?"

Robert gripped the doorknob tightly, stood in front of the door, and cold sweat started pouring down.

"No, it can't be because of me... right?"

Carefully recalling their conversation, Robert shook his head, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.

"Ah, you're back!"

Sitting at the table, looking drowsy while reading a book, Lydia immediately stood up and greeted Robert respectfully upon hearing the door open.

Nodding at her and glancing at Lydia's somewhat haggard face, Robert felt puzzled and asked:

"Lydia, have you encountered any problems?"

"Ah... no, everything's fine."

"Hmm? Did Bowen come again?"

Seeing the flustered Lydia, an unpleasant thought flashed through Robert's mind. He walked up to her, holding the young girl's shoulders, and gently sniffed.

Smelling the delicate fragrance of a young girl from Lydia, Robert analyzed carefully.

[Carrying the fearful scent of a pure maiden]

[It really tastes delicious, doesn't it?]

[Due to your actions, Lydia's affinity has decreased!]

[Lydia's Strategy: 4%]

"Tsk, this system is really annoying!"

Not noticing the worst-case scenario, Robert relaxed a little and apologetically let go of her hands.

Seeing the frightened gaze of the young girl, he extended his right hand and gently ruffled her hair, asking,

"Sorry for scaring you, but what exactly happened?"

"Holy Healing."

A warm light slowly entered Lydia's tired body from above her head, and she felt like she was immersed in warm water, closing her eyes.

It felt like the hot baths Bella used to prepare for her during the winter, using an old wooden tub, warm and soothing.

"Master... I, I've been waiting for you to come back..."

Ah, that's it...Looking at the dazed maid, Robert realized something and sighed. This young girl didn't sleep the whole day...

She didn't sleep well the night before last and still managed to hold on the whole day yesterday. He didn't know how she persisted. No, Robert actually knew very well, extremely well.

It was fear.

She was afraid that if Robert saw her sleeping when he came back, he would think she was a lazy maid and would chase her away. So she kept herself awake.

"Where did this little creature come from? I'm not a monster..."

Thinking to himself, Robert walked up and cradled the dazed Lydia horizontally, ignoring her panicked struggles, gently placing her on the bed.

"Rest well, have a good sleep, wake up whenever you want."

"I won't do anything to you, you can rest assured. I am an apprentice paladin."

Feeling like Lydia wanted to get up to refuse, Robert placed his fingertip on her forehead, gently pressing it, and said with a smile,

"This is an order, be good."

"...Yes, thank you for your kindness, Master."

"Well, no need to thank me."

Watching Lydia obediently tuck herself under the blanket, Robert nodded in satisfaction, as if recalling something, and added:

"From now on, you don't have to wait for me, understand?"

"And also, stay vigilant outside, but when you're with me..."

"You can relax."

"I don't have enough power right now, so for the time being, you'll be my maid."

"I promise you, in the name of justice, that I will protect you."

Watching Robert's refined face in disbelief, Lydia couldn't tell if there was a plot behind all this.

"...Okay."

But she did feel the warmth, hesitantly nodding, and then pulling the blanket over her head.

"It seems like women like to use blankets to hide their expressions."

Smiling and shaking his head at the bulging blanket, Robert turned and walked towards the wardrobe.

[Warm words always touch the heart]

[Lydia has slightly lowered her guard against you]

[Lydia's Strategy: 10%]

"Not bad, let's continue..."

[Gentlemanly handling and tolerant attitude towards half-elves]

[Left a very satisfying impression on a certain observer]

[Observer's Strategy: 31%]

Huh?!!!

Let's not talk about that certain observing lady for now...

Wow! Isn't that enough? Do you, lousy system, have to be so hypocritical?

And "certain observer," can't you just say who you are?

[Nadia's Strategy: 31%]

"..."

Robert felt like he had some very traditional curses to say, but the aristocratic cultivation he had acquired over nearly twenty years here restrained his impulse.

Leveraging his excellent acting skills, Robert didn't let his attitude undergo a significant change and continued with his original actions.

He rubbed his chin and a faint smile couldn't help but appear at the corner of Robert's mouth.

"But, Nadia..."

"Heh, hahaha..."

"It's really..."

"Kind of cute!"

He was genuinely surprised; Nadia's behavior was completely beyond his expectations, like...A girl sneaking around to observe her boyfriend!

"It's evident she really has no experience in this regard!"

With a smile playing on his lips, Robert shook his head gently, quietly thinking to himself:

"I'm really starting to become interested in you, Miss Nadia~"

After all, both of them weren't very familiar with each other. Regarding the words Robert had spoken that morning, how much was true and how much was false, both of them had a sense of it.

The mindset was more about survival than admiration. Even so, Nadia was willing to give him a chance.

Then why not just be straightforward about it? If you think that in a world where men and women are infinitely close to being equals, a lady losing her innocence to you would make her fall head over heels in love with you...

Well, I can only say, you're overthinking it. Not being familiar, lacking an emotional foundation, promises meant very little. There was a gap, whether they acknowledged it or not.

After all, one was a legendary figure with fame spanning hundreds of years, a queen reigning over her domain. While the other, to put it nicely, was a darling of the aristocratic circle, and to put it bluntly, just a noble bastard with demon blood.

"But, if I overplay my part today and she discovers it later, that's a whole different story!"

He sighed, imagining Nadia hating him for love, and then he, powerless to resist, collapsing on the spot.

"So, first and foremost, I can't do something she absolutely can't accept!"

Like messing with those noble ladies... or being messed with by them!

"Secondly, I shouldn't set up a person's character too high! Being too perfect makes it less real!"

Knock, knock.

When he made up his mind and was about to follow the plan to go trouble Kanggrif, a knocking sound came.

Wilder, the meticulously groomed butler, stood respectfully at the door and handed over an invitation:

"Lord Robert, Duchess Rupert sends an invitation, hoping you can attend the dinner at the duke's mansion tonight."

Taking the invitation and casually glancing at it before placing it on the desk, Robert looked at the old man who had served the Duke Bell's family for a lifetime, and casually inquired:

"I understand. By the way, where's Kanggrif?"

The elderly man seemed to have not caught on to anything, speaking respectfully with his head bowed:

"Lord Kanggrif left for the Rupert Marquess's estate this morning and will also attend the evening banquet today."

The words paused there, and old Wilder raised his head, speaking with difficulty:

"...Lord Robert, be careful about something."

Huh?

It seemed like the first time he met this old man. Robert exaggeratedly looked him up and down.

Wilder, who had been sweating slightly from the continuous scrutiny, finally spoke:

"...Lord Robert, I've watched you grow up. In the eighteen years, you've never stayed out overnight."

"And yesterday, there were rumors among the servants that they saw you being carried out unconscious from the mansion."

Surprised, Robert laughed and patted Wilder on the shoulder, saying:

"Is that so... Rest assured."

"Don't worry about us. We won't have a severe conflict, and you won't be affected."

"In that case... I'm at ease, Lord Robert... After all, Lord Kanggrif will eventually take charge of the family. Please... consider it carefully."

Wilder breathed a sigh of relief, nodded gracefully, and prepared to turn and leave.

"Wilder, arrange for a few more people to guard the front of the building."

"I don't want to hear news of Bowen causing trouble here."

"I've been patient with him for a long time."

"Though you and I both know what kind of person he is, I haven't used evil detection on him, out of consideration for our bloodline."

A bitter nod, and Whit turned and left.

Closing the door and retracting his gaze, Robert sighed:

"Everyone has their own way of survival, huh."

"After all, who isn't striving to stay alive?"

"There won't be a severe conflict, but I didn't say there wouldn't be a conflict."

Self-speaking, Robert looked at the slight bulge sneaking under the covers and raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, young lady, no more eavesdropping."

"Get some sleep."

...

Nadia, maintaining the advanced invisibility spell, had her heart skip a beat. If it weren't for hearing Robert's last sentence, she would have almost bolted!

"It was so close, I was about to use teleportation..."

Her bright eyes were now glaring at Robert's back with some resentment, silently gritting her teeth.

Who are you, exactly!?

In these past few days, I've made a fool of myself around you more than in the last twenty years!

...

"Oh no!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Robert felt like a big problem was about to happen, and he hurriedly added.

Vaguely sensing a suppressed resentful gaze, Robert pretended to be oblivious, quickly changed into his paladin attire, and left the room.

"Leaving that aside, testing the limits on the edge of danger is quite thrilling!"

"I'm in love with it!"