For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used. - Chapter 126: To The Mansion (3)

Clatter!

“Eek!”

Faye noisily pushed back her chair, creating distance.

Unlike Carla and Elisha, whom she had known for a long time, she only trusted me and reached out to Iris.

She had no idea it wasn’t a false accusation but an actual attempt to summon a spirit.

“Hmph.”

Iris was visibly upset by Faye’s overt distancing.

So I gently lifted Iris’s thin wrist, making her surrender.

It looked like a puppet show.

But showing empty hands was a gesture of being harmless, which was surely effective!

“It’s okay, Senior Faye! Our house’s slave doesn’t bite!”

“…Master, I am not a dog.”

Iris’s voice protested sulkily, but Faye chose to ignore it.

“Think about it, Senior Faye. Someone who hides under the covers out of embarrassment and pretends to sleep, only to be tickled and end up in tears, can’t be dangerous.”

“That is…”

Faye hesitated, perhaps seeing the logic.

But she still trembled at the sight of Iris, obviously frightened.

It made sense, considering the reason why spirit summoning was banned on the Eurelia Continent.

The fear that summoning could bring forth a calamity like an Evil God was enough reason to forbid calling beings from other worlds, akin to a world-scale policy.

Trying to summon a spirit despite the ban?

It was more villainous than a murderer, like attempting to make a nuclear bomb.

For the timid and fearful Faye, it must have been terrifying.

But I knew that Iris’s attempt was solely for Elisha’s sake.

…Although she didn’t consider the consequences.

Anyway, she wasn’t trying to burn the world, so it should be fine.

“Ah… So…”

Faye nodded, a bit more, reassured after my explanation.

A person wielding a knife for a ridiculous reason was insane, but one who did it to protect someone else earned others’ support.

That was exactly what Iris was doing.

Embarrassed, Iris blushed and cleared her throat.

“Hmm. It was for my only student, but I admit the method was problematic. I was blind. But, rest assured, it won’t happen again.”

Iris tapped the Slave Mark engraved with a thorn pattern on her neck.

Noticing Faye sneaking glances at me, I smiled and spoke up.

“Right. One of the few restrictions I imposed was not to research forbidden topics. So, don’t worry, Senior Faye.”

“Uhm… If you say so, Junior.”

Faye slowly returned to her seat, still glancing at Iris but not overtly avoiding her as before.

But the atmosphere became awkward.

It couldn’t be helped.

I sighed inwardly and spoke firmly.

“Senior Faye. Hand!”

“Huh? Oh? Uh…”

Faye was momentarily startled but obediently extended her hand.

I placed Iris’s hand, which I had been holding, on top of hers.

“Here.”

“Master?”

“Junior?”

Despite the troubled reactions of Iris and Faye, I shook their hands together up and down without a care.

Shake, shake.

It looked as if they were shaking hands, causing Faye to chuckle and nod her head.

“I get it. I understand, so you can stop now, Junior.”

As soon as I let go of their hands, Faye straightened up, her mood visibly lighter than before.

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Faye Yareunshade… pleased to meet you, Miss Iris.”

“What’s there to say? We share the same partner, so we might as well be family. I’m the one asking for your favor.”

“Pa-partner…? We’re not quite at that stage…”

“Hmm? Haven’t you shared a bed with the Master?”

“Well, yes, but… I’m still a student and…”

“Then let’s call it a future partnership.”

“Future partner… family…”

Elves, especially ancient ones like Iris, who lived for 500 years, held great importance to chastity.

But for Faye, who didn’t grow up in a proper environment, this was an alien concept.

Faye looked perplexed.

Seeing the mood turn awkward again, I smirked and said,.

“Now that the introductions and greetings are done, how about we all have sex to strengthen our bonds?”

“…Has the Master finally lost his mind?”

“Junior, that’s a bit…”

Both looked embarrassed, then glanced at each other and chuckled.

Yep, it was much better than before.

Satisfied, I was nodding when Iris leaned against my chest and whispered.

“Master, thank you for going so far as to make such a joke to help.”

“What are you talking about? I’m serious.”

“……”

Iris, seeming displeased, began to fidget again, which I briefly restrained.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Master, I’ve brought some refreshments.”

Pamela knocked, carrying a large tray.

Perfect timing.

I moved Iris, who had been sitting on my lap, to the seat next to me.

Then, we sipped tea and talked about recent events.

The exaggerated rumors about me taking Elisha as a slave.

Faye, who almost got in trouble because of those rumors.

The duel I fought in anger and the exposure of the Boiling Silence’s power.

And the strange phenomena at the library.

Iris listened calmly, sometimes getting angry with me, then nodded thoughtfully.

“The duel and the dangers of the Boiling Silence are famous. I heard some parts of them here. But a ghost story materialized in a spatial gap? That’s a new and interesting phenomenon.”

“Right? It would have been great if you were there too, Iris. What about you? The barrier at the entrance seems almost complete.”

“I’ve completed most of the tasks you assigned, Master. With more than a week left than originally planned, there’s plenty of time.”

Saying that, Iris pulled out a spacious robe and mask from her spatial pocket.

The design was simple, based on black and purple.

But perhaps because I gave her a generous budget, the simple appearance belied its exceptional quality.

“The robe comes with standard size adjustment and automatic repair magic.”

“Is that all?”

“Hardly. There’s a magic circle engraved inside. If you infuse it with mana, it becomes as tough as drake skin, capable of blocking most swords. And it provides basic protection against magic as well.”

“Hmm.”

As Iris demonstrated by infusing mana, the robe quickly hardened.

With a shield added, it would provide considerable protection.

Considering just what I’ve seen now, it’s impressive, but with the gold I invested and Iris’s skills, there’s surely more to it.

Iris, noticing my expectant look, shrugged her shoulders proudly.

“There’s a highlight. Master, you wanted the vibe of a secret organization, so I prepared something.”

With those words, the robe seemingly melted into thin air.

“What?”

No, it was still there. Iris’s hand was holding something. It wasn’t gone, but…

“Invisibility?!”

“Correct. I heard from Miss Carla Lindelheit that the Master enjoys stacking scrolls and potions to their limits.”

“Did you really say that, Carla?”

“Yes. When the Master was sleeping in the carriage, we briefly talked about you…”

Carla scratched her head, smiling sheepishly.

“You were talking behind my back?”

“Of course not! It was just Elisha and Miss Iris being curious about what kind of person the Master is.”

So they talked about me when I wasn’t around.

Nodding, Elisha joined in with a giggle.

“Just as Carla said, we only talked about how excited you get with full-belly play.”

“What…?”

Elisha, slicing a piece of cake with her fork, pointed at me and chuckled.

“You. You’re really a pervert.”

“…Right. Elisha, you should try it too.”

“Eh?”

As I bantered with Elisha, Iris started to knead my thigh, puffing her cheeks.

“Master, don’t tease Elisha too much. And the conversation is straying off topic.”

“Oh, sorry. We were talking about my use of scrolls and potions, right? Yes, it’s efficient.”

Returning to the main topic, Iris deflated her cheeks and nodded.

“Efficient, yes. But it is also cumbersome and costly. And in urgent situations, even a moment’s delay can be critical.”

“That’s… true.”

I realized this while fighting Edmerek. He constantly pressured me to prevent the use of scrolls or potions.

If the battle had lasted longer and the doping effects had faded, I would have been dead.

But with this robe, I could become invisible mid-fight.

Of course, stronger opponents with sensory or detection magic might see through it, but…

Having even a small trick up your sleeve could make a big difference.

And most importantly,

“Invisibility cloaks are a dream.”

“It’s a robe, not a cloak.”

It was still the same.

“Anyway, good job. You did well as I asked.”

Patting her head, Iris looked away, slightly embarrassed.

“For my age, Master often treats me like a child.”

“Don’t you like it?”

“…I didn’t say I disliked it. It’s just a bit embarrassing.”

Ehem.

Clearing her throat, Iris changed the subject and lifted the mask.

“Lastly, the mask. In fact, this completes the concept the Master wanted.”

“It’s that significant? What’s so special about it?”

“Firstly, it’s enchanted with magic to impair recognition, defend against detection, and prevent backtracking, useful outside of combat.”

“Right. That’s necessary for the secret organization vibe.”

“And here’s the truly important part. When you wear this mask and infuse it with power…”

Pausing, Iris smirked smugly.

“You can emit an aura of intimidation!”

“…?”

“Like a suspicious person!”

“…!”

Indeed, a suspicious aura of intimidation was a matter of great importance.