Morgan, whose foot was firmly held by his hand, let out a sweet, charming, low moan.
"Mother, is something the matter?"
Noticing Morgan's unusual reaction, Gawain quickly asked.
Morgan's face was slightly flushed. Ei's sudden aggression had flustered her; she hadn't anticipated the usually passive Ei becoming so assertive.
"N-nothing... Gawain, could you go to the counter and order me another coffee?"
Gawain obediently complied, standing up to fetch her coffee.
With Gawain out of the way, the two remaining fell into a momentary silence.
Morgan's blue eyes met Ei's, but he simply took a sip of his juice as if nothing happened.
"So, you are subtly rejecting me?" she asked.
"Well—"
Before Ei could fully explain the situation, she raised her hand like a queen, signaling him to be quiet.
"Mochizuki Ei, allow me to say this first." Morgan stated. "My possessiveness is quite strong. I absolutely do not tolerate rejection. If anyone dares to leave me, I will haunt and curse them until they die. I advise you to think carefully before answering."
Her calm tone was as suffocating as the ocean beneath an iceberg.
The fact that she could say such a thing confirmed that the Queen Morgan before him was indeed from a Lostbelt.
"However..."
Morgan stirred the coffee in her cup, her hand moving slightly faster than before.
"While I don't think you have anything to be conflicted about," she said softly, "as your future partner, I am willing to be considerate of your situation. Your answer does not only have the option of 'I accept,' but also 'Wait a bit longer.'"
Ei thought, What kind of consideration is this? It still leads to the same result.
He decided that, for the arrogant, greedy, and intensely possessive Queen of the Fairies, this was the biggest concession he was going to get.
"I understand."
Ei managed a wry smile.
"Your Majesty, I don't want to lead you on, but thank you for your consideration. Then I choose, 'Wait a bit longer.'"
"I see..." She nodded thoughtfully. "It seems you still have some 'undecided matters.' That's fine. I will restrain myself until you make your decision."
Why did she use the word 'restrain'? That sounds so subtle, Ei thought.
"Your Majesty, don't you think this is unfair to you?"
"Unfair? What is unfair about this?"
Morgan blinked her ice-blue eyes, genuine confusion showing in them.
Then, she seemed to understand, and a slight, amused curve appeared on her lips.
"Don't misunderstand me, Mochizuki Ei. I'm not the kind of boring woman who will wait quietly. When I say 'restrain,' I mean I will try to be discreet and not disturb you, but it doesn't mean I will abandon my pursuit. You must remember one thing..."
Her graceful body suddenly leaned forward. She hooked a long, pale hand onto his school uniform tie, gently pulling him closer.
Her cherry-lipsticked lips breathed a sweet, seductive whisper into his ear:
"My future offensives will be quite intense, little boy."
"..."
With her breath in his ear, Ei felt all his bones turn to jelly.
Hearing Gawain's loud footsteps, Morgan released his tie, and the two quickly separated.
Gawain looked with confusion at the flushed Ei and the suddenly cheerful Morgan, not quite understanding what had happened in his absence.
"Sir Ei, why is your face so red? Did you eat a chili pepper?"
"To summarize simply..." Ei said with deep meaning, "I sampled a special, extra-strong blend of the adult world's coffee."
"While I don't fully understand, it sounds like something worth celebrating."
"It is indeed something worth celebrating," Morgan concurred.
[You quickly finished dinner.]
[Morgan dropped you off at the school gate, briefly bidding you farewell and assuring you that she would follow up on the Edison factory matter.]
[That same evening, you and Gawain took a comfortable, hot shower in the public bath, washing away the fatigue of the day's events. By 10 p.m., when the dorm lights went out, you lay in bed, tossing and turning, checking your phone for news about Kiara Sessyoin.]
[Multiple student disappearances have been reported on campus, with the cases being investigated as possibly related to Kiara Sessyoin.]
[This makes you wonder if that terrifying woman might have breached the dorm security and is coming to seek revenge?]
[Fortunately, the person sleeping in the bunk below you is Gawain, who can protect you if anything really happens.]
[You are uneasily struggling to fall asleep, considering your future plan of action: find a way to raise 3000 QP to attend the mixer, and then find a way to win over Baobhan Sith. Only after accomplishing all this might you truly possess the strength to contend with Sessyoin.]
[At 1 a.m., you suddenly have an intense urge to use the restroom, but Gawain is already asleep, and you are too afraid to venture alone down the dark hallway, fearing Kiara Sessyoin might attack you from a shadowy corner.]
[Just as you finally manage to feel drowsy and prepare to sleep, you receive another message.]
[This time, it is a selfie of Morgan in her pajamas.]
Does this woman even know what restraint means?
Sending a picture like this at a time like this just makes it impossible to sleep, dammit!
[2 a.m., you are seriously struggling to hold your bladder.]
[3:30 a.m., you think you hear a woman's low whispers coming from the dark, long hallway... The voice is full of resentment and anger, as deep and bottomless as the shadows in the corridor, sweeping through your room like a cold draft.]
[This is the male dormitory. How could there be a woman's voice in the hallway? Yet you hear it clearly, convinced it is not an auditory hallucination. In the dead of night, a female figure is lurking in your dorm building, seemingly searching for something...]
[You faintly sense that the shadow has stopped right outside your door.]
[Please pass a Luck Check.]
"What is this, it's turning into a horror game! Is that Sessyoin or a ghost? What happens if my luck fails?"
Gawain, save me! There's a female ghost in the dorm!
[The die result is D, lower than your Luck A. Check succeeded.]
[You immediately pull the blanket over your head, hold your breath, and pretend to be asleep. Your luck is good, and the dark figure fails to notice your presence.]
[You feel her slowly retreating from your room.]
[You made it through the night without incident.]