Volume 2 Chapter 40: The Power of the Candle

My head and body burned with heat. My thoughts were disjointed, my breath ragged, and my heart pounded as though it were about to burst.

The room was suffused with an oppressive heat, and a sweet fragrance clouded my mind. My body was already drenched in sweat. Despite knowing this was wrong, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from El, who was straddling me with a seductive smile.

She slowly removed her black innerwear, revealing flawless, snow-white skin, untouched by a single blemish. Her delicate black and light green lingerie, intricately embroidered, adorned her elegant curves, stirring an overwhelming sense of joy in my heart—and a growing heat elsewhere.

“You seem to like it,” El purred.

Watching me pant, she gave me a sultry smile. I reached out instinctively, my hand brushing her slender, sweat-dampened waist. Her skin was smooth and soft, almost clinging to my hand.

El let out a soft, breathy “Nnh…” as I touched her.

“Ma-chan…”

The last remnants of my reason threatened to slip away, but I bit down hard and restrained myself. Gripping my misbehaving arm with my free hand, I tried desperately to picture Ma-chan, the one I loved most.

Ma-chan. Ma-chan. Ma-chan. Ma-chan. Ma-chan…

I couldn’t give in to my desires. I couldn’t betray her. I had vowed to remain faithful when we became one.

“No need to hold back, Noil,” El whispered.

Seeing my struggle, she took my rebellious arm gently and guided my hand to her chest. I felt the soft fabric of her lingerie and the warm, supple sensation beneath it. My strength left me instantly, and my mind felt as though it were boiling.

“Can you feel it? My heartbeat. I’m so excited… because of you,” she murmured with a melting smile.

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even pull my hand away. Her allure made my head spin.

El let go of my arm with one hand and ran her fingers over my chest. In an instant, my shirt was ripped apart, exposing my upper body.

“You’re beautiful, Noil. Truly stunning.”

Removing my hand from her chest, she began to undress completely. I was speechless, captivated by her sculpted, artistic figure.

“I’ve studied a lot for your sake. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied—so much so that you’ll never be able to live without me.”

She leaned over, whispering into my ear.

Our bare skin pressed together. I could feel her heartbeat in sync with mine.

“Nnnh…”

“Ah…”

She licked my ear, sliding her tongue inside. Every time she moved, a jolt ran through my body. After thoroughly ravishing my ear, she moved to my cheek, then my neck, trailing her tongue over my chest and abdomen as she skillfully removed my clothes. Before I knew it, she was down to just her lingerie, licking every inch of me.

The room echoed with lewd sounds, and a wave of indescribable pleasure coursed through me.

At that moment, my reason finally shattered.

I don’t care anymore.

I wrapped my arms around El’s body. She looked momentarily surprised, but her expression quickly melted into ecstasy. As I twisted my body, she ended up beneath me, her cheeks flushed, her radiant smile gleaming as she reached out to me.

“I’m so happy, Noil…! Come to me…!”

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I brought my face closer to hers. Just as our lips were about to meet—

A deafening crash shattered the moment as the door to the room was blown apart.

Fresh air rushed in, momentarily clearing my fogged mind.

“Ugh! What is this smell!?”

“I suspected as much. Though the method was slightly different,” came a voice from the destroyed doorway.

Two figures burst into the room. One was Mina, pinching her nose and fanning the air with tears in her eyes. The other was Fiona, fully armed with dual pistols and goggles, wearing an imposing expression despite the face-concealing gear.

“Senpai…”

Fiona’s voice wavered, and her expression hardened as her mouth began to tremble.

“E-El… Are you seriously… with him?”

Mina, still holding her nose, looked stunned, her voice trembling as she spoke.

“Get away from Senpai! Elshan Farceed!!”

Fiona’s voice rang out so loudly it seemed to shake the mansion. Mina hurriedly covered her ears but, no longer pinching her nose, accidentally inhaled deeply, gagging at the smell.

Ignoring Mina, Fiona aimed one of her guns at me and screamed again.

“I knew I should’ve killed you!!”

Mina crouched, hands over her ears, looking ready to vomit as tears streamed from her eyes.

“…I was so close.”

A voice, cold and devoid of emotion, echoed from below, making me instinctively leap away from my spot.

El slowly rose from the bed, covering herself with the sheets. Her disheveled hair concealed her face, but something about her made my instincts scream. I started inching away from her, fear tightening its grip on my chest.

“It’s fine, Noil… We can continue later… Ah, I suppose you’ve returned to your senses? …What a shame. Well… next time, then… Truly, what a shame.”

She muttered to herself, then lifted her face. Her expression was calm, composed as usual. But that composure scared me even more.

Without hesitation, I jumped off the bed, sprinted as fast as I could, and ducked behind Fiona. I crouched there, trembling with my head in my hands.

Pathetic? Maybe. But this is the life I’ve chosen.

“Senpai, please wait just a moment. I’ll take care of her shortly.”

“Uh, sure.”

Honestly, I wanted to suggest we all calmly talk this out. But the way Fiona glared daggers at El without even sparing me a glance was terrifying, so I just nodded.

Also… where did that thunderous voice of hers come from? I’ve never heard anything like it before. It’s unnerving. Could you maybe… dial it back to the old you?

“Stray cat… Mina-san.”

“Ugh…”

“Tch… Useless stray cat.”

Fiona spat harshly at Mina, who was still hunched over, visibly sick from the room’s air.

Hey, give her a break! It’s pitiful to watch.

I reached out and gently patted Mina’s back.

“Don’t interfere too much, okay? Even I get angry sometimes.”

El, now fully dressed, stood with arms crossed, exuding an air of cool composure. She looked so composed and poised—but wait, hold on. Let’s really think about this for a second.

That situation earlier? Pretty deranged, wasn’t it? Almost criminal? How can you even be mad about getting interrupted?

“Noil and I were finally about to be united. How cruel of you.”

By “united,” you mean thanks to that suspicious candle, right? That was all the candle’s doing. It’s not my fault! I was about to do something irreversible because of that cursed candle.

Not that El lacks charm—if anything, she has plenty of it—but let me just say this: it was the candle’s fault.

“Hmph. What nonsense. Senpai and I are already bound together.”

That comeback feels… off, somehow.

Shouldn’t you be saying something like, “That’s not the right way to do things”? That seems more appropriate to me. But, alas, I lack the courage to point that out in this situation. My bad.

“Not funny. You must be dreaming.”

“It’s the truth. I’ve already informed Senpai’s father, and he’s aware we’ll be getting married.”

“Wait, what now? Excuse me?”

I had to interject there. Why was Fiona acting like we were a couple? And why would my father know about this? Care to elaborate?

“What is it, Senpai?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I visited during our journey and introduced myself.”

“Ah, I see.”

She replied curtly, still pointing her guns at El. Makes sense, I guess…?

“Did you meet my sister too?”

“Yes, I introduced myself as her future sister-in-law, so rest assured.”

“Ah, I see.”

Oh, good. I think I’m losing my mind.

“You really are…”

I don’t even have words. But that’s what’s going on here, isn’t it?

El, who had been glaring at Fiona, pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. Oddly enough, her frustration mirrored mine, and for a moment, I forgot how scared I had been of her just a moment ago.

“You’re in the way.”

“Likewise,” Fiona retorted coldly.

El raised her hand slightly, as if in preparation.

“I didn’t want to harm one of Noil’s juniors, but if it’s come to this, so be it. You followed me here of your own accord. If you continue interfering with the bond between Noil and me… I’ll have to teach you a painful lesson.”

“The one who should know her place is you. I’ll make sure you never approach Senpai again.”

The tension in the air grew thick. Despite the absurdity of the situation, the atmosphere was on the verge of an explosion.

If these two actually fought, it wouldn’t end well.

Fiona’s Heaven’s Witch magic armor allowed her to fly and fire magical bullets from her dual pistols. It essentially combined my magical abilities with unmatched mobility.

A ridiculously powerful set of magic armor, it was something only someone like Fiona—a half-demon, born with exceptional talent and rare lineage—could wield.

She wasn’t an ordinary human but a half-demon, born from a human and demon pairing. While half-demons excelled at mana control and had greater reserves than most, their physical abilities fell short of full demons. Unlike Mina’s half-beast traits, Fiona’s humanlike appearance often caused misunderstandings.

With such powerful equipment, Fiona had even helped me haul fish from faraway lakes for a project once.

And now—

“Sophie, what’s El’s rank as a miner?”

Standing at the door, I cautiously asked Sophie, who was watching everything with her usual unreadable expression.

“A-rank, Master.”

“What’s with the ‘Master’ thing?”

“Master instructed me to address you that way.”

“Could you… stop?”

“My apologies, Master. I cannot disobey.”

“Ah, right…”

So, El is A-rank, huh? That’s… really bad.

As I braced myself to intervene, dreading the outcome, a soft voice stopped me.

“Wait… wait…”

“Huh?”

Mina, still crouched and looking unwell, grabbed my shoulder. I turned to see her lifting her face, flushed and breathing heavily, her eyes hazy and unfocused.

A bad feeling hit me like a truck.

Before I could retreat, Mina moved faster, grabbing my face with both hands.

“Mmph!?”

She pressed her lips to mine, pecking me repeatedly like a bird, before her tongue began to lap gently at my lips.

“…Mina…?”

“Stray… cat…?”

El’s eyes widened in disbelief, while Fiona’s pistols slipped from her hands.

“Her heat cycle wasn’t supposed to be this soon…”

Sophie tilted her head quizzically.

“And who’s here to save the day? Me!”

Krais suddenly slid into the room, striking a dramatic pose from seemingly nowhere.

“Fnyahehe.”