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Chapter 62: Ophthalmologist

How did it feel to know that one’s predecessor was actually a pervert?

Roel believed that he had just earned the qualification to answer this question. Flustered. Extremely flustered. And embarrassed too.

The usual attitude Roel had with Nora was to ‘stay as far away from me as possible’, but today, he desperately tried to keep her by his side, not allowing her to stray from his line of sight at all.

Ponte Ascart’s diary entries were simply too detailed that Roel felt his fingers and toes curling up. Just from the three entries he had read, he was able to come up with a lot of labels for his ancestor—illicit teacher-student fantasies, ‘flat is justice’ cultist, and very possibly a lolicon.

“Tsk. That fellow should really be thankful for Prince Wade’s rebellion, or else he could have very well been executed by Victoria...”

“Mm? What did you say?”

“No, it’s nothing much. How is the tea?”

“Not bad. The teacup is wonderful too. Empress Victoria has a good sense of aesthetics.”

Seeing how Nora was focused on other matters, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that those from the royal palace rarely frequented this place. He would just have to survive these two days and send her off tomorrow night. It would all be good by then.

The reputation of the Ascart House banks on everything that is going to happen today and tomorrow!

Roel thought as his heart pounded furiously. He began putting together plans to keep Nora occupied.

Meanwhile, after Nora finished studying the tea set, she turned to examine the door of the tea room, and she soon noticed something peculiar.

“What’s that pinhole on the door?”

“Hm? Isn’t that a door viewer?”

“That’s why I’m asking why there’s a door viewer here. Isn’t it something that’s normally used only for the door at the entrance? I’ve been paying close attention and noticed that almost every room in this villa has a door viewer. Is there some kind of special significance to this?”

“No, there’s no special significance to it now. Just like what you have said, this door viewer is intended only for the entrance, but...”

Roel revealed a rare gleeful smile as he pointed to the door of the tea room and explained.

“... every single door in the Labyrinth Villa is an entrance in itself.”

“What?”

Nora blinked her sapphire eyes in confusion as she tried to process what Roel was driving at. On the other hand, Roel also didn’t keep her in suspense and revealed the deeper meaning behind his words.

It was not just out of familiarity that Ponte Ascart chose the Labyrinth Villa as the place to bring Victoria Xeclyde to seek refuge. More than that, it was because the layout of this villa was compatible with the labyrinth artifact too.

“The legendary labyrinth back in that era consists of two layers—the inner layer consisting of the villa and the outer layer encompassing the streets and byways outside. The effect of the artifact veils the two layers in mist and partitions them into numerous sections. Whenever a person passes through the boundary of a section, he would be randomly teleported into another section. Unless the person enters the labyrinth in a specific manner at a specific timing, they will never be able to reach their destination. That’s also why it was termed as a labyrinth.

“As for the inner layer, it works in the same manner as the outer layer, just that the boundaries are the doors this time around, making every single one of them an ‘entrance’. I heard that huge, bulky metal doors were used back in that era, but they have already been replaced with the ordinary wooden doors you currently see. Nevertheless, we still kept the door viewers around for remembrance’s sake.”

Roel’s explanation expanded Nora’s understanding of the Labyrinth Villa by a fair bit.

“Is it still possible to transform the villa into a labyrinth once more?”

“It’s impossible to construct the same massive labyrinth back in that era anymore, but if it’s just limited to the interiors, it should still be doable.”

Roel replied as he recalled Carter telling him that a fragment of the family heirloom used back then still lingered within the labyrinth, granting it mystical powers.

On the opposite end of the tea table, Nora looked at Roel, who was deep in thought, and she raised her teacup and took a sip. She seemed to be in a better mood than usual.

(Affection Points +200!)

For reasons unbeknownst to her, Roel was treating her much amicably than he usually did. At the very least, he wasn’t intentionally trying to put distance between them. This placed her in a good mood.

Nora was definitely not a masochist, and there was no way she would feel pleased when someone took on a perfunctory attitude with her. In fact, with her pride as a member of royalty, she wouldn’t bother trying to know anyone who treated her in such a manner.

In the end, the so-called ‘ boy you have won my interest through your cold attitude ’ plot device only worked in stories. Anyone who tried to emulate it in real life would only find themselves failing tragically.

The current relationship between Nora and Roel was more like buddies who knew each other’s secrets, allowing them to show their true selves before one another. More importantly, while Roel tried to draw a line to distance himself from her, he had never snubbed her before.

On top of that, it had been some time since Roel learned her secret, but he didn’t seem to have any intention to use it as a chip to negotiate for a better position for himself or anything at all. In terms of character, he could still be considered as an upright person.

If only he was willing to get close to me...

Nora sighed while sipping on her tea.

To be honest, Roel was proving to be a far more difficult opponent to conquer than she initially thought. She really had no idea how that silver-haired girl managed to get so close to him.

But while Nora envied Alicia, she was unaware that at this very moment, Alicia had just received news that the two of them would be spending the new year together in the villa, and she began crying out of indignance. Carter had to spend a great deal of effort consoling her before she finally calmed down.

Roel spent the rest of the day on his toes, fearing that Nora would suddenly spark a newfound interest in looking at the diaries. This constant anxiety manifested into a grudge against his predecessors.

Goddamnit! Those lazy bums must have never even flipped the cover on one of those diaries before, or how else could they allow such dark history to exist to this day? They even foolishly treated it as if it was a precious family heirloom! Please, that’s a perverted lolicon over there!

As frustrated as Roel was, he didn’t dare to let it show out of fear of slipping up. As a result, this day ended up being the most harmonious day he had ever spent with Nora. The smile on Nora’s lips lasted all the way till dinner.

“Today’s cuisine is meticulously prepared too. I am confident that it’ll satisfy your palate.”

“I have no doubt in the food coming from the chefs of the Xeclyde House. Your food has never failed to delight me.”

“Including that sweet?”

“...”

“I’m glad to hear that you enjoy our food. As a gesture of reciprocation, I would really appreciate it if you would just be a little more obedient.”

“Pardon me for being unable to fulfill your request.”

Roel unhesitatingly turned Nora down. The golden-haired girl clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, but she didn’t say too much about it.

The dinner commenced under a fairly comfortable atmosphere. The location where they were dining wasn’t the usual dining room table but a smaller table by the windowsill, allowing for a picturesque view of the vast scenery outside and a more intimate environment. There were also candles lit at the center of the table, adding to the mood.

If they had been a little older, this could be considered a date.

Roel’s mind was still wandering around the area when a layer of red light suddenly cloaked his line of sight. A familiar burning sensation assaulted him once again. He immediately raised his hand and pressed it against his eyes in hopes of alleviating the pain.

The sight alarmed Nora.

“Roel, what’s wrong?”

“I-it’s nothing much. It’s just that my eyes would suddenly hurt from time to time recently. I had it checked with the principal doctor of the Ascart House, but he wasn’t able to find anything amiss.”

The pain in Roel’s eye left as quickly as it came. He rubbed his temples in frustration as he wondered if there were any ophthalmologists in this world.

Nora was also reassured to see Roel’s words too

However, what the two of them didn’t know was that while Roel’s eyes were hurting, the fragment of a multicolored gemstone glowed as if it had been awakened. A moment later, it reverted back to quietude.