I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

Chapter 239

“Are you really not hurt anywhere?! Or did that guy do something to you, Lillis?”

“N-no... I’m really fine... There’s nothing to worry about.”

To be honest, the arm that Ethan had pulled on a moment ago still ached a little, but it didn’t seem right to complain to the person who had just saved me. It would be like demanding a reward after being rescued from drowning.

If Ethan had been even a little bit later, I would’ve been dragged into a mental world I might never have escaped from. I was just grateful beyond words for his timely intervention.

“But, how did you know? It was just before I was almost taken away, and I don’t think you could’ve seen my face through that tiny gap.”

“...I don’t know, I just had this feeling that you were there, Lillis.”

“What?”

“I saw a hand as the space was closing, and somehow, I just knew it was yours. I’m glad I wasn’t too late, Lillis.”

“...”

Did he really figure out I was being pulled in by McHart just by seeing my hand? It was touching, in a way, but also a little unsettling.

No, no... I told myself I would just be grateful right now. I could think about the extent of Ethan’s obsession with me later. After all, we had more pressing matters at hand.

“...What a shame. I thought I almost had you.”

McHart reappeared, as if there was no longer any reason for him to remain in his mental world once Ethan had pulled me out. From the outside, it looked as if he had stepped out of thin air, and now, standing at a slight distance from us, he muttered while keeping his gaze fixed on us.

“I was surprised to see you arrive so quickly amidst all the commotion, but it seems that so-called hero wasn’t the one who found me.”

“So it was your doing after all. I wondered why Lady Blaze’s disguise magic suddenly vanished, and then Prince Antonio appeared out of nowhere.”

“Yes, it was amusing, wasn’t it? Thanks to that, it seems the other heroes are still stuck in the banquet hall. I was worried for nothing.”

Thanks to Ethan, I had somehow escaped McHart’s mental world, but the battle between him and me was far from over. If anything, it felt like it was just beginning. Until a moment ago, there was no chance of winning against McHart, but now that Ethan, a Sword Expert, had joined, the odds were much better.

‘Not just his sword, but his entire body is radiating with blue energy. Has he fully awakened?’

I couldn’t tell if Ethan was saying this on purpose, but his words made my face flush. Thankfully, in this dull, monochrome world, the color of my face didn’t show much.

Even McHart seemed momentarily taken aback by Ethan’s declaration, though he quickly composed himself and continued.

“There’s no need to put on airs in front of a woman. When faced with the fear of death, men and women all become the same.”

“...”

“And besides, I’ve never really had an interest in anyone other than that woman. I don’t have any personal grudge against you. Honestly, I don’t want to fight you.”

“You talk too much. Even with the power you’ve gained from your alliance with demons, you don’t seem confident in taking on both Lillis and me at once.”

“Within this space, I can crush you both as easily as I please. The woman standing next to you knows that better than anyone. If you think I’m bluffing, I’ll give you a moment to ask her.”

“...”

McHart must have thought I was terrified of this space, having experienced it twice before. If I had been ignorant of his patterns, I might have despaired at being pulled back into this world. But I had cleared 『Luminor Academy』 24.9 times. I was an expert among experts, having slain McHart at least twenty-five times in the game. There was no way I couldn’t identify his patterns by now. If Ethan asked, I could tell him about the weaknesses of this space and how McHart was just bluffing...

“That won’t be necessary.”

“...What?”

“...Huh?”

“I’ve already told you. No matter what kind of space this is, the only true world for me is the one where Lillis exists.”

“...”

“...”

“The main reason I wield my sword is for Lillis. No matter how much you try to scare me or threaten me to abandon her, it’s pointless. That’s never going to happen, not until my bones are ground to dust. Rather than living a cowardly life without Lillis, I’ll stand as a shield to protect her. The only way you’ll lay a finger on her is by tearing my body apart first. And even if you’re a stronger opponent than I can defeat, I would rather fight by Lillis’s side until the very end, in this world where no one else can see us, than run away. That is the reason I started learning the sword, and that will be the outcome.”

What on earth is he thinking, to be able to say something so cringeworthy without stuttering or even flinching?

Meanwhile, here I was, finding it increasingly difficult to hold my head up because of Ethan’s knightly declaration.

...I had a strong feeling that after today, it would be even harder to look Ethan in the face, but for entirely different reasons than before.