2-96 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

Volume Two, Chapter 96 ~ What Kind of Virtue Is This Again?? Author: Han Tang Returns Updated: 2025/7/12 0:30:01 Word Count: 4630 In a café, two individuals were focused on reconciling their accounts and pondering over how to draft their practical report. They didn’t realize that just a table away, a tall, blonde-haired girl with twin-tails sat silently, holding a cup of coffee, unmoving. Everything they had said was overheard verbatim by Mirexia, who was coincidentally seated at the neighboring table. As for why she happened to be there at that time, it was purely coincidental. Mirexia rarely visited cafés. Those familiar with her knew she usually spent most of her time in the student council president’s office, where she was often too occupied to go out. Once she had some free time, she sought a café where she could drink coffee while contemplating how to handle forthcoming tasks, or considering areas in which her studies and skills needed improvement. Mirexia's assigned practical exam, like the previous ones, was individual. And, like the previous times, with her capabilities, she finished the second-year practical test flawlessly in no time. Meanwhile, others in the same year were still troubled by their practical tasks, but she'd already completed her task, returned to campus, and even finished her report. Upon returning to the student council, she noticed she was the only one back. Everyone else, regardless of their year, was still out adventuring and hadn’t returned. That included Wenny. Although she knew, given Wenny's strength, that it was impossible for him to struggle with a mere first-year practical task, she couldn’t help but wonder how he was faring in his first-ever practical exam. However, with Vannesa as his backup, it shouldn’t be too bad, right? The written part of the final exams was over, and throughout Mirexia’s return to the academy, she hadn’t idled. She continued to train, tried learning new magic spells, and handled various administrative duties. Though her workload was still immense, it was clearly more manageable than before. At least now, when Mirexia grew tired, she'd take breaks. She often recalled Vannesa’s advice and those few memories that made her blush just thinking about them. It's embarrassing to think about, but... how should she put it? She could clearly feel that the embarrassment no longer overwhelmed her emotions. In contrast, another emotion, 'anticipation,' greatly overshadowed the shame she felt. Whenever Mirexia thought of this, she wondered if she was sick. Was she always like this before? Or had she always been the same, just that something had unlocked this 'switch'? Maybe, perhaps, it was simply because she hadn't seen Vannesa in a while, leading to pent-up pressure. That had to be it, right? So, when she next saw Vannesa, it would be quite normal to ask for her help again, wouldn’t it? Mirexia believed that Vannesa was right. If this was indeed an ‘illness’, it needed treatment, and in terms of healing, naturally, no one was better than the saintess. If that's the case, then it’s quite logical to seek the saintess for healing if one is ill, isn’t it? Speaking of which, when would Wenny return? He’d been gone for quite some time. Could there have been complications? Without realizing it, Mirexia’s fingers tightened slightly around the coffee cup handle as she drifted off into her thoughts about work, her mind spiraling further and further away. It wasn't until the café’s door chime sounded, producing a sweet and clear ring, that two familiar voices brought her back to reality. Realizing who the two voices belonged to, Mirexia held her breath with the thrill of delight. To be thinking about someone only for them to show up right beside you—that feeling made Mirexia's heart leap like a joyful rabbit. Just as she was about to stand and greet the two, she overheard their conversation, which curiously involved her. When she heard Aesphyra mention how Wenny used to like her, Mirexia's cheeks flushed as she remembered Wenny's past confession to her. Then she heard Aesphyra's next words. "Wenny, aren't you the real flirt here?" “During our trip, you couldn't take your eyes off me in that dress you once liked, tsk tsk.” “…” Mirexia was silent as the coffee in her cup swirled a little. At that moment, she decided against going over to greet them and instead sat quietly, eavesdropping on their conversation. So, the two had drawn a dual practical exam assignment together as a team this time? Listening to their conversation, it seemed they had experienced numerous occurrences that Mirexia was entirely unaware of. Mirexia remained silent. "I mean, white-haired little nut, should we honestly write down everything that happened? Would that be considered completing the practical task, or not?" came Wenny's voice from the next table. "Wenny, you're calling me that right in front of me?" responded Aesphyra with an evidently amused tone. "What else? Didn’t you say before that it was an affectionate nickname from me to you? Since it’s an affectionate nickname, wouldn’t it be right to use it often?" Wenny replied with a smug smile, using Aesphyra's earlier words against her in a playful manner. However, to Mirexia listening in, the whole exchange didn’t exactly sound like that. It seemed more like playful banter, tinged with a sense of flirtation, especially given Mirexia's mindset. Their exchange sounded quite intimate. Using endearing names with such tones… what exactly were they? What truly happened between them during this trip? ‘Virtue +300.’ ‘Current Virtue: 2794.’ Huh?? On the other side, Wenny was bewildered by the increase in virtue. Why such a big reaction because of calling her “white-haired little nut” this time, when he used it so frequently? Or was it because he jokingly brought up the 'affectionate nickname' topic? Wenny thought it was very likely because mentioning anything about a personal connection with her would elicit a reaction. But wasn’t this topic brought up by Aesphyra? Wasn’t it true that it was a joke, meant not to be taken seriously? Yet, she couldn’t tolerate others saying it? What a double standard, really?? Or was there another heroine nearby by any chance?? The possibility occurred to Wenny as he looked around. But he didn’t see anyone else. The café seemed pretty quiet, besides him and Aesphyra; it seemed there wasn’t anyone else around. Moreover, it didn’t quite make sense. What kind of heroine would have such drastic emotional swings over the few trivial things he and Aesphyra spoke about? Sure, Shikondell might, but she was back in the dormitories earlier. How could she possibly have arrived at the café before them and be lurking around to eavesdrop on their talk? That didn’t fit her character, considering her timid nature. She wouldn’t dare stalk unless someone was instigating her secretly. Or was it Mirexia? But if Mirexia were around, wouldn’t she have come up to greet them? Aesphyra and he were both friends with Mirexia, so why wouldn’t Mirexia come forward upon seeing her friends? Why hide in some dark corner eavesdropping? That seemed unlikely, didn't it? Besides, was there anything problematic about his and Aesphyra’s conversation? What could trigger such drastic emotional fluctuations? Truth be told, up until now, Wenny still hadn’t figured out many of Mirexia's mysteriously triggered virtue boost mechanisms. He often felt that merely having conversations with her sometimes led to sudden virtue increases after enough time passed, and sometimes even when he said nothing at all, while she was just sitting nearby—virtue would increase without warning. It genuinely puzzled Wenny as Mirexia's virtue-boost mechanism remained elusive. She was undoubtedly his number one top sister, but Wenny still couldn’t fully grasp how her mechanism worked. "Wenny, giving people nicknames is something only children do," Aesphyra retorted, seemingly preoccupied with drafting their report and showing no sign of any emotional tumult. Ah, that's more like it. Aesphyra certainly lives up to her reputation as a seasoned performer. Even if she has emotions churning, Wenny can hardly notice a thing. That's why she earns her moniker, right? On the outside, she may seem indifferent, but inside, she surely cares a lot, doesn't she? "By the way, missy, what about that dress? Have you kept it as a keepsake?" Wenny asked. "What, Wenny, want to see me in it again?" Aesphyra teased. "Who wants to see you, little nut, wear it? That'd just be a nut in a dress—what's so appealing about that?" Wenny retorted, stubborn as ever. "Puh-lease, really? Then Wenny, the set you're wearing, the one I gave you, will you treasure it when you're back home?~" Aesphyra, far from annoyed, found Wenny's stubbornness amusing. "I won’t, I might just throw it out the first chance I get," Wenny lifted a brow. Given Aesphyra's understanding of Wenny, she knew he was just being stubborn. With his financial situation, would he really throw away such an expensive outfit? Could he really afford to do that?? 'Virtue +200.' 'Current Virtue: 2994.' What??? Wenny looked at Aesphyra with a quizzical expression. She should know he was bluffing, so why such a strong reaction?? This doesn't make sense. Wenny once again glanced around, peering about like a sloth peeking from its perch. "Wenny, what are you looking for? There aren't any peaches for you to munch on here!” Aesphyra chuckled. "Get lost! Are you treating me like a monkey now?" Wenny retorted with mock irritation. At the same time, Mirexia at the next table stared into her swirling coffee, unable to fully recognize her emotions. It seemed their relationship was quite good. Of course, she knew from the start that Aesphyra and Wenny were close. Her two trusted friends having a tight bond—shouldn't that be a great thing? So why did she feel so uneasy? Were they close enough to be exchanging clothes now? Mirexia’s feelings were all over the place. Soon after, Wenny and Aesphyra’s conversation shifted to more mundane topics about their practical exam and how to write their report. However, Mirexia barely registered a word of it as her mind wandered, preoccupied with other thoughts, giving no attention to their report discussions. It was only after some time, during the twilight, that Mirexia noticed her coffee had gone completely cold, and the duo at the next table was gone. Their coffee cups and cake plates were cleared away as if they had never been there. Holding her coffee cup, Mirexia absentmindedly raised it to her lips, taking a sip. For some reason, it seemed more bitter and sour than before. 'Virtue +100.' 'Current Virtue: 3094.' What on earth is going on here?? On his way back to the dormitory, Wenny looked at his increasing virtue points with a puzzled expression. He’d parted ways with Aesphyra, so why did his virtue points keep going up?? This is crazy. Which heroine is responsible for this constant virtue surge?? Wenny glanced around, searching high and low. The streets were almost empty, let alone populated with familiar faces. No one was around. "I'm back, Dale," Wenny announced as he unlocked the door and entered the dormitory, only to find Shikondell curled up on the sofa, knees hugged to her chest, casting a distant look his way. Whoa? What's going on now? This feels a bit eerie. "...Wenny, can you still see me?" "Huh??" Wenny was utterly perplexed by Shikondell's question. "What do you mean, 'can see you'? Did you drink some invisibility potion or something? Why wouldn't I be able to see you?" "It's good. It's good that you can still see me, Wenny. As long as you can still see me..." "Dale, please don't do this, okay? What's wrong with you now?" Shikondell's demeanor gave Wenny goosebumps. "Wenny, did you just come back from a date with that nut girl?" Shikondell’s voice was soft, carrying a faint sense of breaking. "Bite me! What nonsense are you spouting?" Wenny walked over and flicked her forehead gently. “Ow!” Shikondell squealed, patting her head pitifully. 'Virtue +50.' 'Current Virtue: 3144.' "Dale, how many times do I have to tell you? A man has to be magnanimous. What’s going on in that head of yours? What date? Didn’t I tell you I went to complete a practical report!" Wenny shot Shikondell a glance. "But, you even have special nicknames for each other..." "You know what a pet name is? That's impressive! You managed to learn that? Let me tell you, that was just Aesphyra being cheeky with me, got it?" This charming little elf, seriously, being suspicious of anyone having feelings for him, and yet suspecting Aesphyra of harboring feelings? That's laughable! If Aesphyra had heard, she might think he was spreading rumors behind her back. If so, she might chase him down with a holy sword next. Even if tomorrow was the world’s end, the unwavering Aesphyra would never develop any affection for him, surely??? "But, but..." "There's no 'but'. Rest assured, Aesphyra won’t fancy me. I don't fall within her criteria, and I'm not going to fall for her either." The real reasons, he didn't disclose—they were about Aesphyra's personal matters. In fact, Shikondell, this endearing dolt, should be wary of Aesphyra’s keen senses picking up on her. "Eh eh? Really?" Shikondell blinked her big eyes. 'Virtue +100.' 'Current Virtue: 3244.' "Why would I lie to you, Dale? Do you think, with my character, if I had someone, I’d keep it quiet?" Wenny rolled his eyes at Shikondell. "If I were in a relationship, the whole world would hear about it. I won't keep it a secret, alright?" "Eh, eh eh??..." Wenny took some extra time to assure Shikondell, eventually dispelling her amusing and baseless worries. "So, about the outfit you're wearing, Wenny?" "She gave it to me. I saved her life this time," Wenny explained. "I saved her, so of course, she'd show some gratitude, right? Just like if I helped you out, Dale, wouldn't you show a little appreciation?" Eh, eh, it seems that indeed makes sense? Shikondell churned her little brain and concluded it made perfect sense. This reasoning successfully coaxed her back to normal. Wenny understood Shikondell's anxiety. She lacked a sense of security and clung to him since he was her lifeline. (Maybe it's time to return to the regular update schedule) 2025/07/12/21/56 『Add to Bookmarks for Easier Reading』