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Chapter 216: The Dark Room (9)

It wasn’t just a differently colored flame. In the first place, the flame created by the White Flame Formula bloomed from the essence of mana that was refined to the extreme. As such, as long as one stayed faithful to the White Flame Formula to refine their flame, it was extremely difficult and rare for their flame to transform.

However, Eugene’s flame was different. Eugene himself could feel that his White Flame Formula had transformed after his Cores were reformed anew. The flame he created using the same refinement process produced a completely different color and power.

“Ahahaha.” Carmen burst into laughter as she closely examined the flame resting on her palm. As someone with seven Stars in the White Flame Formula and the strongest member of the Lionheart family in the current generation, she immediately noticed the change in Eugene’s flame. Since Eugene held no hostility towards Carmen, his flame did not bring any harm to her.

But for some reason, Eugene felt as if his flame were being devoured, and in fact, Carmen was holding his flame firmly in place using her White Flame Formula. Eugene felt as if his flame would blaze using his mana as firewood if she wasn’t holding it in place.

“This is truly amazing. Many of our ancestors have entered the Dark Room, but none have experienced a change in their White Flame Formula like yours,” Gilead said with astonishment. It almost made sense that Eugene was stuck in the Dark Room for three days after he saw how Eugene’s flame had transformed.

“What happened in there?” Gion asked in the middle of his admiration. He could see with his eyes that Eugene’s flame had transformed, but he felt another change in Eugene apart from that. As far as he knew, Eugene’s skin had always been clean and firm, but now, it was practically glowing.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed this change. Rather, the ones who were most affected by the change were the two Saints.

[Kristina! Kristina! Give me control of the body for a moment,] Anise said urgently.

‘W-what?’ Kristina was shocked at Anise’s intense earnestness. 

[Kristina! What are you looking at right now? Raise your head immediately, fix your gaze ahead, and look at Hamel,] Anise reprimanded.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t. She really, really wanted to, but she could not bear to raise her head to see Eugene’s face. What was it? It didn’t seem like he had changed much, but…. No, he had changed a lot. For some reason, his eyes felt calmer, deeper, and cooler, and his skin was smooth as if it were coated with honey. His hair, which was usually messy, was still messy, but it looked glossy and even sexy.

‘S-s-sexy…,’ Kristina thought involuntarily.

[How vulgar!]

Kristina’s ears flushed bright red.

Anise screamed inside her mind, [Kristina! Come on. If you’re too shy to look at Hamel properly, immediately give me control of your body. I will take a close look at Hamel’s face on your behalf and caress that glossy hair and firm skin.]

‘W-what are you saying? Sister, didn’t you say you left behind all material desires and regrets?’

[This is neither of those! As a priestess responsible for Hamel’s injuries and his colleague, I have an obligation to identify the mysterious changes he experienced and to prepare for future events.]

‘That’s… something I can do myself.’ 

[Kristina! Are you saying you won’t surrender the opportunity to be first because you are blinded by your vulgar desires?]

‘W-what do you mean, vulgar desires? I’m just…. I’m just worried you might be taken over by lingering feelings, Sister,’ Kristina protested weakly.

[If you are truly worried about me, raise your head and look straight at Hamel this second. Then approach Hamel, grab his face with your hands, and look straight into his eyes after getting so close that your lips almost brush against his.] Anise was also adamant in her requests.

‘I-I don’t know if there’s a reason to go that far….’

[This is as much as I’m willing to give! Quickly, come on.]

Anise was being sincere. She was truly disappointed that she could not feel his skin, comb his hair, and look into his eyes herself. Even so, Anise was more than capable of linking her senses with Kristina’s, so she was willing to surrender the opportunity as long as Kristina gave her this much. In the end, Kristina obeyed and hesitatingly approached Eugene.

Carmen, Gion, and Gilead were staring at Eugene with questioning eyes, and Eugene briefly pondered how he would explain the events of the Dark Room. Naturally, he had no intention of talking about Vermouth.

“Nothing much happened. Just like you all told me, a flame appeared in front of me, and then it went inside…. What is it?” Eugene stopped his explanation and turned towards Kristina, who was slowly shuffling towards him. Kristina’s head was kept low until this point. Anise found this frustrating and decided to prompt her again.

However, Kristina whipped her head upwards before Anise could call her name. She stared directly at Eugene’s face with a light flush.

“…Haa.” She took a deep breath, then courageously stretched out her hands and grabbed Eugene’s cheeks.

Eugene wasn’t sure what Kristina was doing or if it was even Kristina who was in control of her body. “….What are you doing?” he asked since he couldn’t call out Anise’s name.

Kristina mustered a little more courage and pushed her face closer to Eugene. Her hands conveyed the soft sensation from their target, and Eugene’s transformation was made even more apparent at such a close distance. Kristina gulped and stared right into Eugene’s eyes. His brilliant golden eyes would shine even in the darkness.

[His hair!] cried Anise, sounding desperate. There was no helping it. Kristina had been reluctant because of her embarrassment, but she could not disobey the Sister’s command. While thinking so, Kristina carefully repositioned her left hand behind Eugene’s head. Then, she gently scratched Eugene’s scalp while sweeping through his hair.

“…..”

Everyone was left speechless by her sudden action, and Eugene felt more shocked than anyone else. He felt goosebumps rising on his skin. Was this how a prey felt after being captured by a predator? Eugene immediately took several steps back from Kristina.

“W-w-what is it?” he stammered.

“…Ehem.” Belatedly coming to her senses, Kristina cleared her throat before shaking her head. “It’s a relief.”

She gave a saintly smile while sweeping her hair with her fingers. “There might have been something wrong with your body after not ingesting any food and water for three days, right? But from what I can tell from checking, Sir Eugene, you are completely fine.”

Kristina gave a convincing reason, and it was also true that she had checked his condition by touching him. This wasn’t something to be ashamed of, and when she thought of it that way, it felt as if her flush was fading away.

[You should have touched his lips, too…] muttered Anise in disappointment. The image of Eugene’s lips fluttered like a mirage in Kristina’s mind when she heard Anise’s words. It had been half a year already, but the texture of the kiss deeply engraved in her mind resurfaced and caused Kristina’s lips to tingle.

“L-let’s pray,” Kristina said suddenly.

Kristina found it impossible to raise her head anymore, so she bowed deeply and knelt on the spot. “L-let’s pray to the Light for allowing Sir Eugene’s safe return a-and… allowing him to overcome the trial of the Dark Room.”

No one kneeled in response to her sudden prayer, but Kristina continued to pray until the heat of her face cooled completely.

***

“Sir Eugene!” As soon as the group left the Lionheart family’s treasure vault and came up from the basement, Mer shouted while running down the red-carpeted stairs from the main hall, where a large portrait of Vermouth was hanging.

“Sir Eugene, Sir Eugene, Sir Eugene!” Mer looked tearful, and it was obvious why. She had clearly been worried that Eugene had not come out of the Dark Room for three whole days. Eugene took large steps forward and opened his arms wide without saying a word.

Mer floundered down and jumped when there were a few steps remaining. She did not use magic at that moment, and Eugene knew well that she was making a silent request with her teary eyes. A thin gust of wind enveloped her, and Mer’s small body was guided to Eugene under its care. Mer wrapped her little arms around Eugene before he could.

“Doesn’t it smell?” asked Eugene.

“It smells like you, Sir Eugene,” answered Mer.

“Not that, like a stinky smell,” said Eugene.

“It doesn’t,” responded Mer with her face buried in his chest. Eugene had worried that the smell of sweat and the impurities would remain even after he washed his clothes with magic, but he sighed with relief after hearing Mer’s answer.

“By the way, Sir Eugene. You’ve changed a bit. Your chest is softer than usual,” commented Mer.

“What?”

“Your chest was always hard because of your muscles, but now, it’s soft. Well, it’s not super soft, but….” Mer paused, then raised her head. Then, after poking Eugene’s chest a few times, she buried her face once more. “It’s more elastic than soft. It’s addictive.”

Eugene had been aware of this fact somewhat. His joints were much stronger than before, and the muscles surrounding them felt more flexible and elastic. His previous bones and muscles had been good enough, but his current body was just perfect. It was better than anything Eugene could have imagined.

“…..”

Mer wasn’t the only one who came running. This was the home of the Lionheart family’s main branch, so it naturally housed members of the Lionheart family.

Cyan crept backward after stopping himself in the middle of the stairs. Behind him was a large portrait of the Great Founder, Vermouth. It was definitely a shameful thing to be retreating in front of the founder’s portrait, but Cyan could not continue forward, for he felt chills as he stared at his sister’s back. Cyan didn’t even want to imagine his sister’s expression.

‘I want to touch him too.’

Ciel’s thoughts were quite simple. However, the various ideas derived from this single thought were quite complex. Mer Merdein, the wicked summon. Had they not gotten along well the last six months? They had shared a common enemy in Auxiliary Bishop Kristina.

Kristina was granted access to the entrance of the Dark Room because she was good at healing magic, while Ciel and Mer were ignored.

Mer had needed someone to gossip about the two-faced Saint, who dared to command her, a personal creation of Sienna the Wise, and Eugene, who dared to turn his eyes elsewhere.

Ciel had needed information about what exactly Eugene did in Yuras, as well as information about the Saint Candidate who tried to act so cutely with her smile. So naturally, she did not mind playing nice and going along with Mer’s gossip in the process.

However, their relationship had always been shallow, weak enough to break with just a little emotion. Just look. Mer Merdein — a 200-year-old summon who only looked like a child on the surface. Wasn’t she just an old hag with the skin of a child?

‘How insidious,’ Ciel thought.

Mer was practically digging into Eugene’s chest with her face buried, and Ciel could only see her action as a blatant display of flirtation and a challenge to herself. She wanted to do the same to Eugene if she only had the chance.

‘Elastic chest? Addiction? What the hell is that?’

Ciel was a child of the prestigious Lionheart family, which meant that she had been educated in mannerisms ever since she was a child. It wasn’t like she was still an ignorant teenager. How could she do such a clueless, shameful thing as a 20-year-old, especially in the presence of her beloved father, uncle, and respected Lady Carmen?

“Oh, dear. Sir Eugene.” Kristina Rogeris called out. She turned her gaze towards Ciel, standing frozen on the stairs. Then, keeping her gaze fixed, she took a step and clasped Eugene’s arm. “You shouldn’t overdo it. You haven’t eaten or drank in three days, right?”

Her words were nothing special, only spoken out of concern. She was only helping him for fear of him stumbling. However, Ciel did not see it as such. To her, it felt as if time had slowed down. In Ciel’s eyes, Kristina was the opposite of a Saint, a wicked woman frolicking with Eugene’s arm as she wished.

‘…Wait. He hasn’t eaten or drank for three days?’

A glimmer appeared in Ciel’s eyes, and her fists stopped quivering.

“Let’s get you back to your room first. Lie down comfortably, and I will bring soft food that won’t burden your stomach,” Kristina continued.

“Ahahahaha!” However, she was interrupted by Ciel’s laugh. Time resumed flowing at a normal pace, and Ciel continued down the rest of the steps with an elegant gait and approached Eugene.

“Lady Ciel, why are you laughing?” asked Kristina with a slight frown.

“You really don’t know anything, do you? You want to feed him soft food when he’s starved for three days?” Ciel asked in a mocking tone.

“He has fasted for too long. Anything else would burden his stomach,” retorted Kristina.

“Maybe for a normal person. But that’s probably not true for him,” Ciel said, smiling at Eugene.

‘…Ah.’

Ancilla understood that her only daughter was a black lion, but she did not want her daughter’s precious, green youth to be exhausted by hard training. As such, she regularly sent expensive hard-procured cosmetics to Ciel to protect her daughter’s beauty. So Ciel was beautiful and appealing, a fact she was well aware of. But….

‘…This brat. Was his skin always this clear?’

Although Ciel’s skin was spotless and bouncy despite her daily training, she felt insecure when she saw Eugene’s skin up close. But she could not hesitate here.

Ciel smiled as usual and pulled Eugene’s wrist. “Y-you like meat, right? Thick slices of meat. You’re lucky. Older sis hasn’t eaten anything either.”

“Why are you calling yourself older sis all of a sudden?” asked Eugene.

“Why not? Doesn’t it remind you of our childhood? Lady Carmen, Father, and Uncle. None of you have had anything to eat yet either, right?” asked Ciel.

“I had something to eat earlier….” Gion stopped himself in the middle of his sentence. He saw Cyan desperately mouthing something at the top of the stairs, as well as a chilling light in Ciel’s eyes. “…but my stomach must be working harder than usual. I’m hungry again, all because of you.”

Gion quickly grasped the situation, having taught Ciel and Cyan when they were kids. As such, he patted Eugene on the shoulder before continuing. “Why don’t we all go together? Brother, I mean, family head, would that be all right with you?”

“There’s no reason to refuse, is there?” answered Gilead. In the end, it was decided that they would eat together at the family dining room, or the Lionheart’s dining table, to be precise. Kristina stopped in her place, knowing that she was a foreigner.

[You were too complacent, Kristina.] Anise mumbled while clicking her tongue. An ordinary person? Both Anise and Kristina knew well that Eugene was by no means an ordinary person. It was just that they had wanted to be in his room alone, just them together, and to feed him food.

‘I won.’

Ciel smiled triumphantly while taking the lead. But instead of following her, Eugene turned to look at Kristina.

“Can\'t she just eat with us as well?” he asked.

“What!?” Ciel asked, looking back with disbelief.

“Of course, she can. It’s just that I’m rather worried that the Saint Candidate might feel uncomfortable,” answered Gilead. He wasn’t someone who would forbid her from eating with them because she wasn’t a part of the family. Just as he said, he had simply been worried that she would feel burdened and uncomfortable eating with the family.

“Then why don’t we ask her? What do you want to do?” Eugene directed the second question at Kristina.

“What… what?”

Kristina had not been expecting an invitation. Over the past half a year, Kristina had always dined in the dining room prepared for guests. But if she set a precedent today, she could continue to sit at the Lionheart family’s table in the future as well.

[Kristina!] shouted Anise urgently.

“Thank you for inviting me,” said Kristina before bowing her head.

Ciel’s shoulders trembled with anger.

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