2-95 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

Volume 2, Chapter 95: ~It's a Term of Endearment~ How Could the Villain Young Master Be the Saintess? "Hey, Wenny! You're finally back!" A little white head poked out from inside the house, followed by that familiar voice, brimming with a silly yet adorable tone. 'Virtue +30.' 'Current Virtue: 2094.' "Ah, long time no see, Dale. Looks like your mission was smoother than mine," Wenny replied with a cheerful smile. "Not really. I think I just got an easier task," Shikondell scratched her head. Although she was pleased with Wenny's praise, she modestly downplayed her achievement to care for Wenny's feelings. "My task was just to deliver a letter, though I did encounter some minor troubles along the way," Shikondell explained. "By the way, your task was a two-person mission, right?" Shikondell asked further. "Yes, quite unfortunately. I thought the task difficulty was just a bit higher for two people, but it turned out to be way more than that, with quite a few, uh, challenges." Wenny wanted to say it was dangerous but didn’t want Shikondell to worry, so he called it troublesome instead. "Wow, did you complete it smoothly, Wenny? That's amazing!" Shikondell exclaimed, eyes sparkling with admiration, her fists clenched in excitement. "I'm sure you handled most of the incidents, right?" "Well, I guess so, hehe," Wenny replied, feeling a bit vain under Shikondell’s enthusiastic admiration. Honestly, his contribution this time far exceeded what a slacker should have done. One could argue that without him, this wouldn't have succeeded, right? Isn't that worthy of being called a C-tier effort? C-tier for the win, indeed. "So, who was your partner this time, Wenny?" Shikondell inquired. "Oh, nothing much to say. Just a forgettable white-hair dwarf nut," Wenny boasted without restraint. "It was up to me to brave obstacles and save the day. Without me, that white-haired dwarf nut would have been crushed into nut paste." "White hair, nut?" Shikondell tilted her head, puzzled by Wenny's description. But wait, white hair? "Yeah, a small white-furred little nut crying all the way. If I hadn't looked after her, she'd have fallen into a pit already!" Wenny continued, fully immersed in his own narrative. "Hey, Wenny?" Shikondell paused, asking, somewhat bewildered, "The classmate who went with you—does she have silver hair and violet eyes?" "Yeah, eh?" Wenny squinted, finding the blind spot. "How do you know?" Wait, even if Shikondell had met Aesphyra, she shouldn’t know who the white-haired dwarf nut is, right? "Um, Wenny, the lady you mentioned is currently behind you," Shikondell weakly pointed behind Wenny. "...Huh??" Wenny tilted his head, momentarily not registering. "Wenny~" The playful, teasing voice caught his attention. Wenny's neck stiffened as he slowly turned around, meeting the gaze of the silver-haired girl behind him. Her smile was beautiful yet somewhat terrifying. "Oh, oh wow?" Wenny's expression froze, tongue-tied, unable to utter a coherent sentence. "Ah, haha! Isn't this Aesphyra? What's up? Missed me already, just couldn't resist coming to see me?" Wenny chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry to disappoint you, but it seems like you missed me more, Wenny. You didn't waste any time speaking ill of me behind my back~" Aesphyra said with a bright smile. "Hey, no way! Who's bad-mouthing you? Who dares to speak ill of you, big sis?? If anyone dared to gossip about you, I'd be the first to object! I'd smack them straightaway!" Wenny retorted righteously. "Um, excuse me, are you the white-hair nut classmate Wenny was talking about just now?" No sooner had Wenny said this than Shikondell innocently asked Aesphyra. Not fair, right? Even if he knew this little sprite girl was genuinely dimwitted, Wenny would suspect she was out to undermine him intentionally. "Hmph," Aesphyra cast a mocking glance at Wenny, her eyes full of ridicule. "Huh? Why call her a white-hair nut?" Shikondell, oblivious to Wenny's tense expression, continued to ask cluelessly. "Want to know?" Wenny was momentarily speechless, but Aesphyra invited Shikondell with a mysterious grin. "Um, could you tell me?" Shikondell politely inquired. "Of course, I can. In fact, anyone can know," Aesphyra beamed. Seeing Aesphyra's bright smile, Wenny sensed trouble. He had a feeling that this white-haired girl was up to something big again. Then he saw Aesphyra lean towards Shikondell's ear, whispering word for word, "It's Wenny's term of endearment for me~" What?? Hearing this, Wenny was gobsmacked. "A- a term of endearment?!" Shikondell stuttered, blushing and failing to articulate a coherent response. "Isn't that right, Wenny?" Aesphyra asked Wenny, smiling brightly. "Uh, uh..." Wenny was at a loss for words. Being caught badmouthing her was awkward enough, and he also exaggerated his contributions during the mission. Although all he wanted was to bask in Shikondell’s admiration a bit, it still felt embarrassing. But had Aesphyra gone mad, claiming it was a term of endearment? No way, wasn’t she the one who detested any association with men? What was this all about, suddenly changing her mind? "Alright then, pardon us, Shikondell. I have some unfinished business with Wenny, so I'll borrow him for now." Aesphyra winked at Shikondell, then gracefully turned to leave. "Wenny, are you no longer interested in your practical scores?" Seeing Wenny hadn't followed, Aesphyra turned, carrying an enchanting smile in her violet eyes. "Ah, Shikondell, I have to work on a report with this classmate here, so I won't be back for dinner tonight, sorry," Wenny apologized as he quickly caught up with Aesphyra's pace. "But…" Shikondell hesitated, watching Wenny leave with Aesphyra. She had hoped to let Wenny taste her improved cooking once he returned, planning a special dinner. And, what does 'term of endearment' mean? Could it be that the silver-haired classmate has feelings for Wenny?... Moreover, that silver-haired girl was extraordinarily beautiful, with looks that even girls found irresistible. Shikondell had never seen anyone so pretty before. If she really pursued Wenny, who could stand a chance against her?? Shikondell kept telling herself that this was none of her business, but the thought left her heart heavy and somewhat blocked. 'Virtue +200.' 'Current Virtue: 2294.' Huh? Virtue increased? Was it Shikondell's doing?? Well, it's unavoidable. He'll explain to her once he and Aesphyra finish their report. Who would have thought Aesphyra would play such a dramatic game, turning a simple task into such a scandalous affair? Perhaps he misunderstood, but Aesphyra certainly set it up that way. "So, did you call me here just to write the report?" Wenny asked, catching up with Aesphyra. "Oh, what else did Wenny have in mind?" Aesphyra looked at Wenny with her radiant smile. "What was that about calling it a 'term of endearment' just now?" Wenny asked, clearly annoyed. "Oh? Did I misspeak?" Aesphyra replied with a surprised look. "Since Wenny often calls me that, isn't it a term of endearment?" "You...? Fine, you've won this round. That's one way to explain it, huh?" Wenny was speechless. "Wenny, you're too sensitive. You let a mere nickname lead your thoughts astray," Aesphyra teased. "Your words were clearly misleading, alright? You're blaming me?" Wenny responded, rolling his eyes at her. "Or perhaps, did my previous comment ruin a good thing for you, Wenny?" Aesphyra suddenly inquired. "What? What are you talking about?" Wenny couldn't help but ask. "Don't tell me you're still holding onto that bizarre thought? I've already explained, Dale is definitely a guy, just looks a bit feminine. Don't get any weird ideas!" He remembered how Aesphyra once discussed Shikondell’s gender with him, giving an ambiguous response, leaving him unsure whether she figured it out or not. However, in the original story, it was Aesphyra who pursued Shikondell. When she discovered Shikondell was female remained a mystery. The changes in the storyline were so significant—Wenny felt a subtle shift in the relationship between Shikondell and Aesphyra in this world, but he couldn't pinpoint why. Could it be that the white-haired nut's usual tendencies were acting up, and her "green-eyed radar" was on the hunt? "The practical report requires both of us to collaborate, not be written separately. I forgot about this earlier, which is why I came back to find you," Aesphyra explained, reverting to a serious tone. "Were you intentional about this, or was it an accident?" Wenny's lips twitched. It just so happened she forgot and then conveniently appeared to witness him bad-mouthing her, huh? He might have thought it a coincidence before, but after spending some time with Aesphyra, Wenny realized this could easily be a trap set by this cunning white-haired girl. "Of course, it was accidental. Let's find a café," Aesphyra expertly led Wenny to a high-end café she seemed to frequent, as the staff there recognized her. The aroma of natural coffee beans greeted them as they entered through the glass door adorned with a small cup charm. "What do you think of this café?" Aesphyra asked. "Feels lacking compared to a maid café," Wenny glanced at Aesphyra. "With your inclinations, it's surprising you aren’t there." "Oh, does Wenny want to visit one?" Aesphyra smiled slyly. "Not like it's off the table." "No need, I'm afraid it's you who'd want to go," Wenny replied expressionlessly. "Well, I wouldn't mind, but it seems the maid I admired doesn't work there anymore. Such a pity," Aesphyra shook her head. "You have a specific maid you admire? Aren't you supposed to be heartbroken into countless pieces, each with its own place?" Wenny quipped with a strange expression. "Oh? Is it okay for Wenny to speak of me like that? Mustn’t spread false stories. I'm quite devoted, you know. Isn't Wenny the real flirt? Always claiming to like Mirexia, yet couldn't take your eyes off me when I wore that dress you love," Aesphyra teased back. "You really are something, huh?" Wenny laughed, amused by her turning the tables. They settled at a table, pulled out their practical report, and started discussing how to write it. Wenny's contributions were mostly mischief, given his lack of literary skill, resulting in basic narrative. Aesphyra needed to take the lead. For the report, they included the full account of their experience, including the chaotic interference by Jiu Lixue, the priest Fukas colluding with succubi to harm villagers, and how narrowly they escaped. But not everything could be disclosed, like Aesphyra's [Divine Favor]. Wenny tactfully didn't ask, and Aesphyra didn't mention it either. 'Virtue +50.' 'Current Virtue: 2544.' Wenny could only admire how meticulous Aesphyra was, thinking of every possible issue. Seeing the virtue increase, Wenny pondered. The white-haired nut was clearly paying attention to the questions avoided, especially regarding how she rescued them. Reciprocally, Aesphyra never inquired about what Wenny held that triggered such a reaction from Jiu Lixue. Everyone has secrets they can't reveal. If Wenny doesn't ask, Aesphyra won't either. However, if there's a secret vital to her, she might cleverly coax or lead someone to spill it. If someone divulges their secret, she’s just playing the game, right? After all, she neither coerced nor enticed them—it was voluntary. Wenny, observing Aesphyra compiling the report, suddenly noticed that before the 50 virtue points from her, an additional virtue was credited unnoticed during their earlier conversation. An increase of two hundred virtue, from 2294 to 2494. No wonder he felt something was off with the virtue tally—there was an unnoticed addition. What was going on? Did Aesphyra realize something again? The fluctuations in virtue were erratically unpredictable. Little did Wenny know that a blond, twin-tailed girl with blue eyes was sitting silently with her coffee at a nearby table. 2025/07/11/23/42 [Bookmark for easier reading]