Honey Trap! ~The Honey Trap Encirclement to Ensnare the Summoned Hero~ - Chapter 79 & 80

Chapter 79: Yuusha-sama Returns at Dawn

“Ugh… My head’s killing me… Drank too much, I did…!”

“Huh? What did I do yesterday…? Weird, my memory cuts off right when that idiot fired that massive spell…”

“Might dive into a river to sober up… Wait, where’s Yuri gone off to?”

“Probably passed out somewhere or went home. Alright, I’m doing nothing today! Back to bed!”

The morning after, the Troublemakers are a wreck, crawling out of the tavern like zombies and teleporting home. Argos, having drowned his woes in liquor, stumbles back to the guild. Unlike the heavy drinkers, Lily and Luwi remain sober. Lily, true to her noble upbringing, drank with restraint, earning the waitress’s approval.

“As expected of the Klein family’s young lady! Miles apart from those bozos. See, kiddo, this is how it’s done! Take those zombie losers as a cautionary tale and grow up right!”

“Ugh, I didn’t even get to drink… I was hoping for a ‘Whoops, I’m tipsy… Eek!’ moment…”

“That’d look super sketchy, Luwi. C’mon, let’s head home. If Yuri’s passed out somewhere, we’ll drag him back.”

“Right! If he’s collapsed, I’ll nurse him back in my room, all tender and cozy… Oh, but taking advantage of a drunk girl is no good…!”

Dragging a pink-tinted, daydreaming Luwi, Lily sets off homeward. Under her breath, she murmurs:

“(Hehe, those two slipped out midway, didn’t they? Honestly, my dear’s such a handful.)”

Her face lights up like a kid plotting a prank. With light steps, they stroll through the dawn-lit streets.

※

As for the world-saving hero who vanquished the capital’s darkness?

“Ehehe, this kinda thing feels so nice.”

“…Yuri-san, you’re really just like a regular boy, huh?”

Yuri wakes refreshed in Sonia’s bed, enjoying morning coffee. Sitting side by side, wrapped only in sheets, they share a sweet moment. His goofy, relaxed grin betrays no hint of the man who obliterated a giant with grand magic yesterday.

“Regular boy? Well, half a year ago, I was just a student—a lonely, loveless one at that… Man, my life’s totally flipped!”

“Uh, you seem… thrilled?”

“Thrilled! Getting this close with Sonia-san? Heck yeah!”

“Jeez, saying stuff like that… Don’t tease an older girl, okay?”

“I’m not teasing!”

To prove his sincerity, he pulls her close for a kiss. A cooler guy might pull back suavely, but Yuri, being Yuri, dives into a deep, lingering one. Embracing Sonia’s soft curves, his hands wander to her warm, bouncy breasts, kneading them as they tumble back toward the bed…

“No way! We’ve gotta check out soon!”

“Oh, crap, it’s that late? Uh, could we… extend or…?”

“That’d bother the staff. Besides, I’m on break now, so… maybe my place, or your place, for some quiet time… right?”

Blushing, Sonia whispers shyly. Yuri, momentarily deflated, perks right back up.

“Alright, let’s get ready! Things are still hectic out there, so come to my place for now!”

“Fufu, sounds good.”

The saccharine couple plans a home visit, but within an hour, Sonia will deeply regret it.

※

“…This is your house, Yuri-san?”

“Yup, the king gave it to me. Kinda over-the-top, huh?”

They teleport to the garden before the palace entrance. Facing the opulent, ornately decorated structure, Sonia snaps back to reality.

(He’s really… the world-saving Yuusha-sama…!)

The often-forgotten truth hits hard.

“Y-Yuri-san? I’m starting to think I’m way out of place here…”

“Huh? Haha, if anyone’s out of place, it’s me! I’m half-NEET, y’know.”

Undaunted, he pulls Sonia along, only to find familiar faces at the entrance: Meia, the stargazing maiden in a black robe, and Princess Lunaria, elegant in a blue gown.

“Welcome back, Yuri. And welcome, Sonia. As expected, fate has intertwined. Let’s get along.”

“M-Meia-san, you’re here too…? Uh, and this is…?”

“Hehe, first time meeting. You’re Sonia-san, right? I’m Lunaria, technically this kingdom’s princess.”

“P-Princess-sama…?”

Confronted by the nation’s royalty, Sonia freezes. A guild receptionist, she’s used to rough adventurers. The highest-ranking person she’s dealt with was Lily’s father, and even that had her and Argos on edge. A princess? Total overload.

“Pshuu…”

“Sonia!? You okay!? M-Maybe we overdid it…?”

Despite her mature charm, it was her first time, and their late-night fervor was intense. Yuri, misreading the situation, reflects wrongly. Then, he too faces reality.

This… This is that ‘dawn return’ thing, isn’t it? And not just any return—parading home with a woman in tow.

Realizing the gravity too late, Yuri sweats buckets as he faces Meia and Lunaria. They don’t seem angry—Meia sports a faint smile, Lunaria beams—but their emotions are unreadable.

“…I’ll sit seiza.”

Yuri drops into apology mode. When in doubt, seiza—a bad hero habit. His sudden (yet frequent) antics baffle Meia and Lunaria, but a mildly annoyed voice comes to the rescue.

“Jeez, Bo-ya, always jumping to apologies like that. Get up, c’mon. If you’re properly dating, I’ve got no complaints.”

“R-Reza-san!”

“But more importantly… You were quite the star yesterday, huh?”

“R-Reza-san, well, see, there’s a story deeper than the sea…”

“Bet you snapped when that girl got attacked, right? It’s sweet, but a heads-up to the rest of us would’ve been nice. I was worried, y’know.”

Words fail the hero. Yuri reflects sincerely.

Next time, he’ll give a heads-up before a dawn return.

Chapter 80: The Receptionist’s Palace Experience (Part 1)

Humans are adaptable creatures.

Sonia, a receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild, knows this well. Take a certain adventurer: timid, awkward, seemingly unfit for the job as a rookie, yet within a year, they’d swaggered into a cocky D-rank. Or the roughneck adventurer who retired to become a genial weaponsmith. People, it turns out, can adjust to new environments surprisingly well.

Recalling this, Sonia takes stock of her current predicament. Frozen before a princess, tucked into a lavish bed, waking at dusk. At the bedside, naturally, sits Princess Lunaria.

“Oh, are you alright now? No need to be so nervous, you know. Right, Reza?”

“…Easier said than done, Your Highness.”

The princess giggles merrily, joined by a sultry beauty—likely her confidante. Sonia steels herself, trying to hold it together. Spotting Yuri, she shoots him a sharp glare.

“Yuri-san…? Got anything to say for yourself…?”

“Uh! I-I got carried away last night, sorry!”

“T-That’s fine! It was, um, really wonderful… B-But that’s not it! W-Why is Princess-sama here!?”

Yuri blinks, dumbfounded. Tilting her head curiously, Lunaria sips her tea as if nothing’s amiss. Reza, understanding Sonia’s plight, covers her face with a hand.

“…Explaining’s a hassle, but it’s because of Bo-ya. His Majesty officially approved the princess and him…”

“Hehe, we’re close—close enough to make babies together! ♡”

Lunaria drops a bombshell with a straight face, winking playfully. The noble princess’s outrageous claim nearly sends Sonia toppling. Lurching up like a zombie, she grabs Yuri’s shoulders, shaking him with teary eyes.

“What have you done?! T-The princess, of all people!”

“W-Wait, hold up! Lunaria, that’s, uh, misleading… or, well, not misleading… Sorry!”

“Even on risky days, he loves me plenty. Don’t worry, Yuri-sama and I will make adorable babies! ♪”

Checkmate. Yuri can only stare into the distance. Sonia clutches her head, reeling from the scandalous truth. Reza gently places a hand on her shoulder.

“Sigh… Let’s calm down. Nice to meet you, Sonia-san. I’m Reza.”

“R-Reza-sama, right? Um…”

“I get how you feel, but just call me Reza. I’m a commoner, after all.”

“Huh?”

Sonia stares at the alluring woman. Chatting so casually with the princess, she’d assumed Reza was a marquess’s daughter or some high noble.

“Just so you know, I was a courtesan until recently. From the Flower Quarter behind the guild. Maybe we’ve crossed paths?”

“Really…?”

As a guild veteran, Sonia doesn’t judge such professions. If anything, she feels a kinship—another commoner! Then Lunaria drops the final bomb.

“It’s true. And now, she’s an advisor to a marquis.”

“An advisor to a marquis? That’s an incredible rise! Um, which marquis…?”

“That one.”

Lunaria points at “the marquis” with a mischievous grin, chuckling. Sonia looks, half-resigned, half-aghast.

“Yuri-san. You’ll explain properly later, right?”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

Reza later recalls Sonia’s voice—low, crawling with deep emotion.

※

After a late lunch, Sonia walks the palace’s opulent corridors, a space as alien as another world. It’s like a romance novel’s royal palace, complete with a prince—or rather, a princess.

And the parade of “fitting” figures keeps coming.

“Oh, Yuusha-sama! I heard you vanquished the capital’s ruffians—splendid! And this is… perhaps the friend targeted by those villains?”

“Uh, y-yes. I’m Sonia.”

A glamorous noblewoman in a fiery red dress, radiating aristocracy, makes Sonia’s nerves spike. The lady extends a hand with regal poise.

“I’m Vera Dominina, daughter of the Dominina Duchy. A pleasure, Sonia-san. I’m sure we’ll have a long acquaintance. If you need help, come to me anytime.”

“Y-Yes, thank you!”

A gracious duchess’s daughter, no less.

“Greetings, Yuusha-sama. I heard you fought for the capital’s peace yesterday. Goddess Mutras must be pleased.”

“Hey, Beatrice! Thanks! I got a bit carried away.”

“But returning at dawn? Tsk tsk! Naughty!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am…”

“…Or so I’d say, but, hehe, for her sake, I’ll let it slide. May Goddess Mutras’s blessings be upon you both—I’ll pray for you.”

A high-ranking priestess in white robes appears. (Learning she’s the temple’s saintess later prompts another scream from Sonia.)

This is an insane world.

Then—

“Hey, it’s Yuusha-sama! Nihi, good job beating the baddies! ♡ Here’s a reward kiss, ei! ♪”

“Oof… Ahem, thanks, Juliet.”

“You’re welcome! Oh, and this pretty lady is…”

“S-Sonia.”

“Sonia-san, got it! I’m Juliet, nice to meet ya!”

Juliet, bursting with energy, wears a flashy pink modified maid outfit. Her short skirt flutters with every hop, flashing thighs. A palace with a princess, a duchess, and a saintess—yet such loose decorum? Sonia’s reeling from culture shock.

“Oh, Juliet, quick question. Any spare rooms for Sonia-san to stay in?”

“Hmm, spare rooms? Tons, but… Hmm…”

Juliet stares at Sonia, eyes lingering on their linked hands. After a mock-pensive hum, she declares with a mischievous grin:

“All under cleaning, out of service for days! So, you two cozy up in Yuusha-sama’s room! ♪”

“W-What!?”

“See ya, Yuusha-sama! Have lots of fun! ♡”

Juliet skips off, pleased with her “good deed.” Left behind, the pair lock eyes, faces burning.

“So, uh, my room…?”

“Y-Yes…”

The air crackles with the sweet tension of entering a lover’s room for the first time. Amid the culture shock, Sonia forgot: this is the home of the man she’s given her heart and body to. Heart pounding, she steps into Yuri’s private chamber.