I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

Chapter 198

That afternoon, after the humiliating defeat during my sparring session with Ethan, we sat down for lunch. But I couldn’t help noticing how awkward Ethan seemed—he kept glancing at me, almost as if he were worried about something.

“...Hmm.”

“...Hmm.”

Since enrolling in the academy, Ethan had become more confident, but today, his behavior was getting on my nerves. The tense atmosphere made it hard to enjoy my meal, so I finally decided to break the silence.

“Master Ethan, do you realize that your constant worrying is making me feel even more uncomfortable?” I asked, trying to sound calm.

“...I’m sorry, Lillis.” He looked genuinely apologetic.

“Or perhaps you’re trying to make me forget about our duel in the ‘Application of Magical Swordsmanship’ class by making me feel uneasy? If so, that’s quite a strategy.”

“N-no, that’s not my intention at all...” he stammered.

I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind. It wasn’t like he had committed a crime by defeating me. After all, as a 1.5-division student, I would likely have to spar with him another one or two times this semester. If he kept acting like this after every duel, it would be endless.

“Just so you know, Master Ethan, I wasn’t emotionally scarred by losing to you.”

“I know, Lillis. You’re not the type to be upset over something like that.”

“Are you sure you know that?” I pressed, sensing his hesitation.

“But really, it didn’t bother you at all?” he asked, still unsure.

“No, it didn’t. And it won’t in the future, either. If anything, I was more worried that you’d want me to act like I was upset so you could enjoy the feeling of victory.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to do that, so don’t worry...” Ethan finally managed a small, relieved smile, seemingly reassured by my words.

“Yeah, I was overthinking it. You’re stronger than anyone else I know, Lillis.”

“Not necessarily, but I won’t get down over losing a mock duel in class.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that duel today. What exactly was the point of it?”

“...Huh?” Ethan’s expression tightened, surprised that I was bringing this up.

I didn’t give him time to recover, instead launching into a critique of the sparring match.

“What was that about, Master Ethan? Not once did you actually aim your sword at me. In a duel between swordsmen, shouldn’t the first targets be the wrists and waist? What’s the point of holding back?”

“Is there something else you need to say?”

I hadn’t walked far before I heard footsteps behind me. At first, I thought Ethan might have come back for another conversation, but as I glanced back, I realized that wasn’t the case. The footsteps belonged to someone else—someone I had hoped to avoid at all costs within the academy.

“Master Ethan? Do you have something else to say—”

“Long time no see, bold little lady.”

“Ah, damn it...”

I barely managed to stop myself from cursing out loud, but I couldn’t hide the displeasure on my face. Seeing my reaction, McHart smiled and leaned closer. Remembering his abilities too late, I tried to step back, but his hand was quicker, grabbing mine before I could react.

By the time I realized the danger, it was already too late.

-Grab!

A shroud of darkness engulfed us, the air around us thickening with McHart’s dark magic. In an instant, I was pulled into his realm, trapped in the space he controlled.

“Shit, I let my guard down.”

I shook off his grip and backed away, but McHart’s Inner Darkness wasn’t a space I could simply escape by putting distance between us. There was no point in cursing anyone but myself for being so careless.

I’d gotten too comfortable in the recent peaceful days and had momentarily forgotten that Luminor Academy was a place meant to gather a demon king’s hunting party, filled with dangers like this.

“I wasn’t sure if I had the right person, but it looks like I found you after all.”

“I apologize for my behavior at the banquet, Prince McHart Paris Valtoria.”

“There’s no need to force an apology you don’t mean. I already know it’s not sincere.”

“No, I truly regret the mistakes I made back then...”

“If you really meant that, you would’ve come to my quarters in the guest residence to apologize. It’s not exactly hard to find my location here at the academy, is it?”

“...”

McHart stepped closer with that eerie smile, his black aura surrounding us. The world around us had been consumed by darkness, with only a small area around us still visible, as if we were standing in a spotlight within his domain.

...Now that he had dragged me into this space, there was no point in pretending or being polite anymore.

“Ah, fuck. You’re a real piece of shit, aren’t you?”

McHart’s grin widened into a sickening curve. Just looking at him made me feel like the lunch I had eaten was going to come back up—it was that nauseating.