White walls extended in all directions in the underground room of the estate. Looking more like a bunker or a research facility, this ce that resembled an apartment house from Earth was rather inviting.


    The magic lights were turned on brightly while the wide living room moved over to four bedrooms, a kitchen, and even a study. Quite the spacious ce, it was the kind of location that would sell for millions on Earth, but people here wouldn''t consider it anything but small. Compared to the mansion of the estate itself, it was just the size of maybe two or three rooms amongst the many dozens.


    "What do you think?" thedy asked. "Isn''t it cozy? There''s everything we''ll need here. You have no reason to step out in the estate."


    Did she bring me here so that we could y around without worrying?


    "There''s even a piano in that room," my ears perked up. That was exciting.


    I walked around the ce a little. The bedrooms were spacious and the kitchen was well stocked up with preservation magic running at full throttle. The magic stone cost to maintain all these spells would have been quite a fortune.


    As I was looking around, thedy spoke up again.


    "Guard," she said. I turned to face her who was still veiled by a matching blue cloth.


    Seriously, how many were in that wardrobe of hers?


    "What is it?"


    Thedy stepped a bit closer to me. |em|p,yr


    I took a step back.


    All of a sudden, she leaned closer and pinned me against the wall.


    Her hand mmed the wall as my back stuck to it.


    I could feel her breath slowly passing through the veil and hitting my face. I was being pinned against the wall.


    Thedy had just pinned me.


    What in the world? Was it fine to hit her or something? Should I punch her and break free or should I pin her back? Did it make sense for a strong man like me to be pinned? While I was thinking of the most optimal move next, thedy suddenly pulled my chin up.


    She was forcing me to make eye contact.


    "Eugy... don''t do it!"


    Titania whispered.


    I really would have mmed my head into thedy if Titania hadn''t stopped me right there.


    Thedy, probably not able to understand the danger she was in, suddenly spoke up.


    "It''s unfair that you''re the only one who gets to know about me."


    "Yes? My fists are great teachers—"


    "I want to learn more about you too."


    Thedy''s voice dampened mine.


    "Alright, would you mind getting off?"


    "Ah..." thedy gasped and took a small step back. The urge to beat her up finally left me and I let out a sigh.


    "You''re shyer than I expected."


    "I thought your situational awareness was good, mydy."


    "What?"


    "What?"


    Thedy and I moved back to the living room. At that point, my eyes fell on a bunch of boards stowed away in the room.


    I could destroy her in other ways.


    "Mydy, are you good at chess?"


    "You''ll end up crying."


    I pulled out the set and tossed it on the table in the living room. I also picked up a Go board and jumped over to the couch. Excitedly, thedy hopped this way and jumped on her seat as well.


    "The winner can ask the loser to do anything. No rejections."


    "Deal."


    In a rush, we opened the board and started setting up our pieces. I took ck and left her with white.


    Bring it.


    I''ll show you my en passant.


    ***


    "Holy hell..."


    Thedy muttered.


    I barely managed to win the game, she was pretty good. I almost pulled out the omnipotent pawn, but my true power didn''t have to be revealed yet.


    "Alright," thedy sighed and leaned back. "Ask away."


    I thought about the question for a while.


    "Why do you wear a veil?"


    "It''s because I am cursed."


    Without any hesitation, thedy answered. Titania leaned ahead while on my head.


    "Anyone who sees my face will be ''charmed'' out of their wits."


    "Ah..."


    It did make sense.


    Her every move was enough to tug at people''s hearts.


    Thedy crossed her legs and spoke again.


    "It''s better to exin from the beginning. This empire is founded on a deal made with demon king Bm."


    My eyes widened in surprise.


    Pieces started connecting in my head right away.


    "In exchange for letting Tantalus, the founding emperor go free from hell, the demon was promised a flower that could bloom nowhere else. Tantalus Atreus then entrusted the creation of this flower to the ducal house that handled the darkness of the empire. Us, the poisonous Acacias."


    "Then you were created for this purpose?" I asked. She didn''t seem troubled by things, so there was no need for me to be careful either.


    "Yes," thedy said. "Generation after generation, the prime purpose of the Acacia''s remained to prepare this flower in its bloodline. And I, of course, am the result of it all. For what it''s worth, my mother was amoner."


    A beauty experiment, huh?


    "You misunderstand," as if reading my mind, thedy struck down my thoughts. "Do you think I am beautiful?"


    She scoffed.


    I had no doubts that she was beautiful.


    "I look just like a normal person," she said. "If you left me in the city, no one would be able to pick me apart. Just like a normal person. They festered the most cursed beings, not the prettiest ones."


    Was that so?


    Well, how she looked didn''t matter much to me.


    "I can''t see faces," I said.


    Thedy seemed stunned for a second as she reeled back.


    "You look beautiful in my eyes, mydy."


    She hesitated for a second before scoffing.


    "Whatever, let''s go another round."


    And with that, we started ying the game of chess again.


    This time, I lost. Fucking pawn on f6.


    "Do you have a lover?" she asked.


    Titania scoffed from the side. "This boy is incapable of love."


    Apparently, the definition of love was ever-changing for my darling fairy friend. Per her current definition, I truly did not have lovers, just ''romp-mates''


    "What she said."


    "Didn''t you say you were a noble? Are you not even engaged?"


    "I am not."


    "Hm. Well, I am engaged to the crown prince of the empire."


    I felt my body stiffen up.


    What the hell?


    My mind suddenly cooled over for whatever reason. I stopped staring at the pieces and looked at thedy, she had her chin raised high even through the veil.


    She was looking for my reaction, huh?


    "Good for you," I said. My voice was softer than I thought it would be.


    "What was that?"


    "Good for you." This time it was colder than I had intended. I guess theck of sleep was catching up.


    Thedy chuckled.


    "It''s just an engagement in name," she spoke in a soft voice. "Something decided by others. I never broke it off since there was no reason to."


    "I see..."


    For some reason, I didn''t want to hear more.


    "I guess I have one now."


    I looked up at thedy again.


    "What was that?"


    "I have one now," she answered.


    My cheeks were getting slightly heated. What did that even mean?


    I knocked the chessboard away and pulled up the ''Go'' board.


    "Let''s y this now."


    "Go? You''ll lose bad."


    "We''ll see."


    I took ck again and made the first move.


    The night was still young, we were full as well.


    So the game, like a true bitch, went on for the next five hours and had no end in sight.