The inside wasn't any better; if anything, it felt as though it had already been abandoned for a decade. Even so, it was surprisingly clean—no rats, no spiders, no webs.
If I had to describe it, it felt... abandoned, but not messy.
I lowered my umbrella and set it beside the doorway, then wandered off in search of the general I was supposed to meet. On the way, I noticed several interesting framed pictures lining the hallway.
A family.
Two black-haired, blue-eyed parents, and a daughter with even darker hair and crimson eyes. That was interesting, and the longer I looked, the less the child seemed related to the adults in the photograph.
"Is my family photo that interesting, Duke Noctierre...?"
A woman's voice echoed beside me, and when I turned, I saw the woman from the portrait—only older.
Jet-black hair, crimson eyes, and a sleek, dark military coat.
She stood a few steps away, leaning against the doorway. Up close, she matched the portrait, but whatever softness had once been there had sharpened into something dangerous.
Her jet-black hair fell in straight, silken strands, framing a face of sharp, refined features. Then her eyes: deep crimson, steady and focused. When they met mine, it felt like being measured.
She was beautiful—but not inviting. The kind that made people straighten their backs without knowing why. Her fitted coat and uniform hinted at control, not softness. Still, composed. Ready.
She felt like someone who had never needed to be told she was beautiful.
[Second Heroine Found: Anastasia von Yvraine]
[Questline Locked: Complete Faye's Questline First]
Second heroine...?
"Is it a sensitive topic for you?" I asked, steeling myself. Unlike Faye, this one definitely needed a different approach.
And while I normally wouldn't be too worried... that was only before she was revealed to be a heroine.
That meant she was going to be important. And someone I would need to win over in the future. So my system was going for the harem route, huh?
Well... I'm definitely not complaining.
"It's in the past, my duke. For now, let us focus on the purpose of this meeting."
"You wish to determine my worth, am I correct? And what exactly do you want me to do to prove it?"
I shouldn't get too ahead of myself. For now, I should gather information, then make a plan of attack once I thought I had enough.
"Well... my request may be unorthodox, but..."
She paused slightly, one hand moving to caress the other as if she were shy. But her face definitely didn't match it. She still looked cold and sharp, with only the slightest hint of shyness in her posture.
"You can speak freely. I'm the one who needs your services, not the other way around. I should be the one feeling shy."
"L-Lord Noctierre..."
Did she just stutter?
"Ahem, very well. Then, if I may..."
She suddenly stepped closer without warning, not even giving me the chance to step back as she invaded my personal space. Her hands pressed against my chest as she stared straight into my eyes.
W-What the hell is going on?
"Could you say that you love me?"
W-What?
"E-Excuse me...?"
I asked, but she didn't reply. She just kept staring at me, her grip tightening as her fingers curled deeper into the fabric of my polo shirt with every passing second.
W-What am I supposed to say...?
Dammit, I should've read her description in the novel before coming here...
Wait...
I got it!
"No."
"W-What?"
She let go of my shirt and took two steps back, staring at me as if she'd just heard the most shocking thing in her entire life.
She was rejected? That had to be the thought swirling in her mind right now—something she never expected.
Then, a second later, she laughed, and not in any way I could describe as sane.
"Hahaha..." She lowered her gaze to the floor, her hair falling over her face. Then, with a sudden flick of her head, she looked up at me with manic, crazed eyes. "Looks like the rumors about you were true. You're not someone who can be easily swayed or manipulated..."
"You passed."
What the hell is wrong with this chick!?