? The First Letter (44) ?

Senior Delphine eventually tucked her gown in upon hearing my repeated pleas . She sat across from me as her crimson eyes glowed with inexplicable irritation.

I may have earned a little bit of her hatred. I too was disheartened. As Senior Delphine said, her exposed body was akin to a beautiful piece of art.

However, I couldn’t help it. I just couldn’t stand the current atmosphere.

The sweet fragrance permeating through the room, the romantic atmosphere created by the delicate lighting on top of a half-bare woman with a rare beauty.

This room seemed to be designed to entrap men. I breathed a sigh of relief after Senior Delphine finally tucked in her gown.

Even though she was covered up, Senior Delphine was still beautiful. Her immaculate fair legs that stretched out between the gown caught my eye as they have done numerous times thus far.

Nevertheless, it was fortunate for me that she did not reveal her hidden curves. When she approached me just then, my mind fogged up due to the scent of flowers lingering on her skin.

A proper conversation between two individuals was only possible when both sides were thinking rationally. A man who’s spellbound by a woman wouldn’t have been able to make rational decisions. Perhaps Senior Delphine’s scheme was a honey trap all along.

I pondered such a possibility but quickly burst into laughter inwardly at my own foolishness.

Delphine Yurdina sets a honey trap soley to deal with the second son of a countryside Viscountcy?

It was absurd. She could do whatever I could do, and she had whatever I could hope to have. Delphine was superior to me in every aspect, whether it be ability, wealth, or status.

She didn’t need to set a honey trap for me. When you think about it rationally, she was acting as she normally would.

While I secretly heaved a sigh, Senior Delphine spoke with a seductive voice.

“You were like a beast when you were brandishing a hatchet, but now you are acting like a naive, meek little boy who values chastity. I’m a bit disappointed, Hatchet Lord.

I swallowed my laughter at the sight of Senior Delphine grumbling.

This lady needed to watch her mouth, especially in front of a guest. If she uttered something provocative towards the wrong person, it could escalate into a scandal that would stymie the marriage.

No one valued the image of chastity more than nobles. Regardless of the obscenities they committed behind the scenes, they had to maintain a clean image for the public eye.

Yet this aristocratic woman stood half-bare in a room with just her and a man in the dead of night?

The moment this rumor spread, it was certain that her reputation would be tarnished. But even so, the value of Delphine Yurdina’s image is far too prestigious. It would only leave a scratch on her reputation.

I warily gave Senior Delphine an unrelated advice.

“Senior Delphine, since you are an aristocrat, you should at least value your body more than anything else....”

“I don’t need it.”

Before I could even finish my words, Senior Delphine uttered these words in a determined tone. A short and simple answer, I was rather perplexed.

“....What?”

“I told you I don’t need it, Hatchet Lord. Have you ever pondered why women wrap themselves up in front of men?”

I was left tongue-tied as Delphine asked her question drowsily. Discussing such social institutions in general was not my specialty. If only I was Leto.

At the very least, I was able to provide an answer using my common sense.

I began to speak while thinking back to the Saint’s sermon from a few days ago.

“Well of course it’s to keep their chastity, isn’t it? Unlike the soul, the body was created by the hand of the evil god Omeros, so it is a source of sin....”

“That’s why there is no need.”

She spoke in a resolute voice once again.

I gazed at her silently as she leisurely poured herself a glass of wine.

The fragrance of the wine spread as the sound of dripping resonated through the room. She pushed the wine glass and it glided towards me, an impressive display of control over her strength.

It was apparent as the fragrance brushed the tip of my nose that the wine was of great opulence. It was the wine that the heirs of the Yurdina family drank. It wouldn’t be of inferior quality.

How much value would this single glass have in gold? I tried to gauge this value for a moment, but I soon realized that it was meaningless.

After all, the world that she lived in was vastly different from mine. Even if it would be a struggle to calculate it, that would be nothing more than a trivial concern for her. There was only one thing I could do.

I emptied the contents of the wineglass into my mouth.

From the sweet taste, the bitter flavor, and the mellow aroma of wine that traveled down my esophagus.

It was nice. Even I, who didn’t know the taste of wine, could clearly recognize the difference between this wine and ordinary mass produced ones. As I quiffed my first shot, Senior Delphine’s eyes tinged with a subtle look of satisfaction.

She seemed to enjoy this intrepid way of drinking. It made sense since she hails from the North. They are humans who have survived in a harsh environment. Whether it was aristocrats or commoners, they came across as crude individuals.

Their appearance alone gave off the impression that they would scrutinize everyone else’s meal etiquette. It confused me that her aristocratic appearance differed from her personal preferences.

“Beautiful things arouse possessiveness. Everything does. It’s the same with a woman’s body, the more beautiful it is, the more it stimulates men’s erotism. Those thoughts of wanting to turn the women into their possession....”

Senior Delphine raised the wineglass again. Her eyes turned towards me as she filled her empty glass with wine.

The look in her eyes was suggesting I take another shot.

The bottle tilted as I held out my wineglass in silence. Once again, the fragrance of the wine spread as the sound of dripping resonated through the room.

Senior Delphine held her wineglass with a dissatisfied look. She then continued to speak with a mellow voice.

“That’s why most women cover themselves up and proclaim their ‘chastity’. Because that’s the only way to quench men’s desires. Or, perhaps it can be used as a weapon at the most vital moment.. Regardless, it’s nothing more than the thoughts of the weaklings.”

“.... In what sense?”historical

“Why should I be afraid when no one can have me?”

It was an arrogant remark. Yet Senior Delphine said so impassively. It was a voice that left no room for retort, as if she was stating a very obvious fact.

She was entitled to make such a statement. Even if a man gives in to lust and tries to pounce on her, no more than a few people could restrain her with force.

The same could be said for me. Even if I lost my mind and attempted to attack her, she would overpower me within seconds. She therefore had no issues showing me her skin.

It was because she was that strong. That hubris is the foundation of Delphine Yurdina.

A woman who doesn’t fear anyone and is controlled by no one.

I took a sip of wine without uttering a word. As I was beginning to understand her nature, I let out a sigh and spoke.

“...... That’s why you said, ‘I don’t need it.'”

“Yeah, I hate things that I don’t need. Beautiful things become more valuable as they are flaunted, are they not?”

Then a cold glint flickered across her eyes. I felt as if my gaze was inadvertently directed towards her pale skin. I avoided her eyes and sighed.

Drinking made me lose control of myself again. She spoke in a manner as if she were comforting me.

“If you would like to look, then go ahead. It’s rare for someone to gaze upon my body. I don’t just show off my body to anyone. ”

I directed my gaze towards Senior Delphine. If what she said is true, does that mean that there is a standard for who can see her half-bare?

Grin, a light smile leaked out of Senior Delphine’s mouth. She soon answered my doubts.

“Only worthy men deserve to see the beautiful.”

“What do you mean by worthy men?”

“Pfft, yes. In other words..I mean ‘Useful human beings’.”

It was an explicit statement, one that some people may find offensive.

I however was not offended by her statement. Such words were not strange if Delphine Yurdina is the one who uttered them. However, I suddenly remembered the conversation I had with Seria the other day.

The words that Senior Delphine threw to Seria when she was young, “If you don’t prove your worth, you might end up like that.”

I sipped my wine in silence. Senior Delphine continued speaking nevertheless.

“I view the people of this world in a particular way, whether they are useful or not. Nothing else regarding the person matters to me. In that sense, you are quite the useful person.”

“Because I defeated Senior Elsie?”

“Besides that, I’ve heard many other stories as well.”

Senior Delphine crossed her legs as she uttered that statement. Her smooth, luscious thighs were revealed at a glance. I endured the temptation of gazing upon her legs.

I couldn’t keep dancing to her tune. I firmly shut my eyes and drank the wine.

Senior Delphine laughed, as if I was cute. She continued her speech in a relaxed voice.

“I heard that you are hanging out with Seria these days.”

“I am grateful for that. Although you have great talents, you don’t seem to have any talent for spiritual relationships.. I was concerned that she might never be able to make friends for the rest of her life. Despite being a member of the Yurdina family, she is still my half-sister.”

A faint smile flickered across her lips as she said that. Does she care for Seria in her own way? This may be the case since they grew up together.

Senior Delphine, who had a faint, bitter smile on her face, was silent for a moment.

Tap, tap, her index finger tapped the table. Her crimson eyes, which seemed immersed in thoughts, gazed out the window. The moonlight seeping through her window felt like the lighting put her in the spotlight. A picture-esque view.

Some time passed before she turned towards me again.

“I heard a lot of interesting stories as well. A third-year male student who was only in the intermediate rank has been showing incredible performances recently.”

“I was just lucky.”

In response to my own words of humility, Senior Delphine sneered at me. As if that humble remark was ridiculous.

“There is no need for your words of humility. What matters is the result. If you get lucky once, it’s a coincidence, but if it happens multiple times, it’s skill. And, I like talented people.”

With a sound of ‘tap,’ the wineglass that Senior Delphine was holding was set on the table. There was a reddish blush on her cheeks. She was starting to get drunk.

It felt like a steamy heat was running down my esophagus and stabbing in my head. I was also slowly getting drunk. Senior Delphine gave me an erotic smile and spoke.

“You would know what I want to say, right?”

I gulped instead of responding to her question. Not because I couldn’t understand the intent hidden behind her question, but because it took me by surprise.

Is this really how she’s going to act?