Over the next month, Elisa met with Mabel three more times, with Eleanor joining them on one occasion. The gathering took place at Mabel’s estate.
Elisa returned the blue diamond earrings to Eleanor. Her male servant had voluntarily handed them over, which left Elisa even more uncertain about his character.
How can this guy embezzle my funds one moment and turn in something he found the next?
Eleanor was somewhat surprised to get her blue diamond earrings back. She pulled Elisa aside and peppered her with questions about exactly how the earrings had been found, hoping to uncover the mystery behind it.
As a seasoned Transcendent and master of Mysticism, Elisa gave Eleanor an explanation she couldn’t find any fault with.
There were no further developments regarding the police station incident. Miss Caroline never visited again, and that Transcendent never attacked the manor.
“What peaceful days.”
Upon waking in the morning, Elisa stretched and sighed contentedly.
She glanced at [The Young Lady’s Late-Night Lessons]. Last night’s combat lesson had gone smoothly. At the very least, she’d gotten her fill of beating him up.
Her male servant’s [Combat] had already reached LV4. Even the fairly well-known martial artists in the Archipelago were only around this level.
Besides combat, Elisa had also given her male servant a whole slew of Mysticism lessons, along with one firearms lesson. His [Mysticism] was now LV2. Theoretically, it had actually already reached LV3, but since he wasn’t a Transcendent yet, that limited his Mysticism level.
Ordinary people couldn’t use LV3 [Mysticism]. They lacked both the spirituality and the physical resistance required. One had to become a Transcendent first.
After closing [The Young Lady’s Late-Night Lessons], Elisa opened [Simon’s Log].
[Simon awoke from his dream with a start. His fear of the red-eyed, golden-furred baboon increased, and his combat skills improved.]
Elisa smiled, wondering whether she should keep a curly-haired baboon at the manor, dye its fur golden, paint its eyes red, and then make her male servant take care of it.
[Simon fell into thought again, wondering what exactly had happened in his dreams.]
Don’t worry. My Transcendent item should arrive within the next couple of days. When it does, I’ll appear before you as a mature lady and take you on as my student.
[He hesitated over whether to ask Miss Eleanor, who was well-versed in Mysticism, about it.]
Don’t you dare! I’ll stab you to death!
Elisa grew anxious. If her male servant asked Eleanor about it, Eleanor would definitely seize the opportunity to take him on as her student.
You belong to this young lady!
Elisa prayed that her teacher’s package would arrive soon.
[Simon used the Finger Bone and wandered around the manor. He had already figured out how to use it and could now actively dispel the invisibility effect instead of waiting for it to wear off.]
Where the hell did you hide that [Finger Bone]?! I searched your entire body and still couldn’t find it!1
[He dispelled his invisibility and suddenly appeared behind Eve, startling the maid and earning himself a pretty, reproachful glare.]
[He performed a magic trick, using a beautiful flower to sweep away the young maid’s anger.]
You make me furious every single day too! Why don’t you ever perform magic tricks for me?!
[Back in the butler’s quarters, Simon ate breakfast with Maria and discussed the manor’s expenses.]
[He was very satisfied with his current life.]
[Intimacy +2]
Recently, the daily intimacy gain each morning had dropped back to +2. Elisa felt that her male servant had already forgotten the hard times he’d endured before.
She opened the main interface.
[Character: Simon]
[Intimacy: 72]
[Mood: 93/100 (Cheerful)]
[Energy: 96/100 (Energetic)]
[Health: 97/100 (Excellent)]
[Money: 14 pounds, 13 shillings, 11 pence]
[Specialties: Best Employee (No Level), Combat LV4, Mysticism LV2, Firearms LV1]
Compared to just over a month ago, all of his stats had risen considerably.
A personal male servant had very little work to do, so his mood and energy rarely declined.
With the help of [The Young Lady’s Late-Night Lessons], his specialties had increased from one to four.
His money had gone from 5 shillings to 14 pounds… Hehe, at most 4 pounds of that came from wages and bonuses. The remaining 10 pounds, 13 shillings, and 11 pence were all embezzled from me!
That embezzled money included his earnings from the [Finding Ritual].
Strange. I’m not actually that upset about it. It doesn’t really feel like I’ve had 10 pounds, 13 shillings, and 11 pence stolen from me. Maybe it’s because the money hasn’t disappeared. It’s just staying by my side in a different form.
What belongs to my male servant belongs to me!
Looking at the interface, Elisa felt a surge of satisfaction.
Is this what it feels like to nurture a subordinate? No, that doesn’t seem right. A subordinate wouldn’t be this close to me.
After washing up, getting dressed, and finishing breakfast, Elisa finally thought of a fitting relationship to compare it to.
This is what it feels like to see your child grow up to become someone! It’s a mother’s love!
Let me see what my dear eldest son Simon is up to.
[Simon was admiring the white roses in the garden. Their pure white petals reminded him of Miss Eleanor’s face.]
“…..?!”
What are you trying to do with your mother’s friend?!
Elisa closed [Simon’s Log] and rubbed her head.
I can’t let this child anywhere near Eleanor. At least not for the next couple of days, or my child is going to become Eleanor’s pet!
Elisa returned to her bedroom and picked up her pen to write a letter urging her teacher to hurry.
Before she could send it, however, a reply from her teacher arrived.
The messenger was a white pigeon, her teacher’s pet.
Elisa untied the message tube from the pigeon’s leg, took out the sheet of paper inside, and spread it open. There were no words on it, only three drawings: an envelope, a lead box, and a mask.
Elisa recited an incantation in Hermes, and the three objects sprang out of the drawings and landed on the table.
She picked up the envelope first, tore it open, and unfolded the letter.
[…The mask is called “Thousand Faces”. It can transform you into any appearance you wish, and can also make minor adjustments to your physique and voice…]
Not bad. If it can adjust my figure, I won’t need breast padding.
[…Inside the lead box is the Ritual Array you asked for. It was crafted from Starshard Sand, Eclipse Gold, and Moonlight Tears…]
The [Ritual Array] was the foundation of every Transcendent. Only with the aid of a [Ritual Array] could one inscribe rituals within their body and become a Transcendent.
This was the welcome gift she had prepared for her male servant. A present from a mature and knowledgeable Mysticism teacher to her new student.
When the time came, she would have to explain just how precious this [Ritual Array] was. An array made from Starshard Sand, Eclipse Gold, and Moonlight Tears cost 5,000 pounds in materials alone! A finished one was worth between 10,000 and 20,000 pounds!
I never expected Teacher to be this generous and give me a [Ritual Array] of this caliber. I thought she’d only give me one worth around 1,000 pounds. She’s usually so stingy.
Elisa continued reading the letter. She had previously asked her teacher a question and wondered whether she had found an answer.
[…As for the item or method you’re looking for that would allow you to remotely control a young man, I don’t have anything suitable at the moment…]
She actually doesn’t have one?
Haah. That male servant is far too troublesome, and he’s much too perceptive. I have a feeling that once he becomes a [Transcendent], my identity as a wealthy merchant’s daughter might be in danger. I wanted some way to control him from a distance, but it looks like I’ll have to find another solution.
Elisa continued reading.
[…You’re already an adult and a seasoned adventurer. I really shouldn’t interfere in your personal life, but as your teacher and a friend of your father, I still have one piece of advice for you.]
[You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. It’s a proverb from the Archipelago. I know that during your years as an adventurer, you’ve grown accustomed to solving problems with violence, but in some matters, what we need is gentleness and love.]
What is she talking about? Elisa frowned, completely baffled.
[Show him more care and place fewer restraints on him. Bringing two hearts closer together is far more effective than physically confining someone. …When you get the chance, bring him to the Archipelago and let me have a look at him.]
“……”
Just what the hell has my hundred-year-old virgin of a teacher been imagining?!
No wonder she suddenly became so generous and gave me the best [Ritual Array]!
We have a mother-and-son relationship, not the indecent kind of relationship you’re imagining!
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