Chapter 144. Aftermath
The injured from the terror attack were being treated in the Academy's medical facilities.
Baek A-Young, a member of the Academy staff, was also helping with treatment after leaving the infirmary.
"Yes... it doesn't hurt, does it?"
"Huuup... it hurts. It hurts..."
"Alright. I'll begin treatment."
"Huuuugh... it really hurts."
"M-Miss, I mean, Nurse. You need to let go of the patient's arm..."
The medical team, startled by Baek A-Young grabbing the patient's wound directly, spoke up to her.
"Ah, ah! I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"
"Y-Yes, I'm okay. Sob."
Baek A-Young lowered her head and apologized to the patient, clearly flustered.
The patient was in excruciating pain, but seeing Baek A-Young genuinely sorry, he swallowed his tears and refrained from cursing.
Though the treatment was completed, Baek A-Young was in no condition to see the next patient.
"Um, Nurse, if you're not feeling well, you should rest..."
"...Sorry. I'll head out for today."
Seeing her condition, the medical team recommended she rest.
Baek A-Young knew well that staying would only cause more trouble.
She left the medical building and headed toward the infirmary.
Step step.
Many people recognized her as she passed through the terror recovery site and greeted her, but Baek A-Young only offered a faint smile, not in the mood to respond.
Thankfully, the infirmary was right next to the medical building, so she didn't run into too many people.
With weakened steps, Baek A-Young made her way up to her third-floor dorm.
She collapsed into a bed that still reeked of man and woman.
"Haa..."
Baek A-Young reached toward the ceiling, lost in thought.
Last night felt like a dream.
Though she'd had sex with Lee Hoyeon several times, last night was long and electrifying.
And yet, she couldn't understand why she felt so regretful and empty.
They had always been in that kind of relationship.
Baek A-Young was the victim, coerced by her weakness, and Lee Hoyeon was the trashy aggressor.
If she reported him now, Lee Hoyeon wouldn't be able to show his face in public ever again.
No, he wouldn't even walk free—he'd rot in prison for life.
Baek A-Young's image as a saintess was that powerful.
Of course, she had no intention of reporting him. After all, she enjoyed it.
She just... wished the relationship could continue.
But she couldn't shake the shock from last night.
The line that was drawn between them after their passionate encounter.
Lee Hoyeon still saw her only as a vessel for lust.
It wasn't wrong—she wanted that too. But it still left a hollow feeling in her chest.
"Why... why...? Huuuk..."
Tears rolled down from the corners of Baek A-Young's eyes and dripped past her ears.
She knew the reason.
She just didn't want to admit it.
She didn't want to accept or understand her feelings.
There was no point in blaming herself for being so foolish.
"I love him... I've fallen in love."
Something had changed.
Ever since meeting Lee Hoyeon, her world had shifted.
She no longer got aroused during treatment.
When a dying man looked at her with lustful eyes, she didn't have to worry about hiding her soaked panties.
She no longer fantasized about being raped by strangers while masturbating.
Her fantasies were now fixed on one man alone.
Only after that line was clearly drawn did she realize her feelings.
"I love you. I love you so much. Darling."
Baek A-Young didn't wipe her tears.
No matter how she thought about it, love couldn't possibly bloom from a rapist and victim relationship.
In her world, that kind of love story didn't exist. No one else on Earth would ever call their rapist "darling."
She was alone in this emotion.
To Lee Hoyeon, she was merely a "toy" and a "tool."
Her chest tightened, and her throat choked up, but she didn't let the sob escape her lips.
These feelings were greedy.
Feelings she must never reveal.
But she resolved to do whatever she could to keep this relationship going.
That was the limit of what Baek A-Young could allow herself to think.
*
Scarlett reported she was still investigating me, and then went to spy on Elise.
She claimed to be one of the top stealth operatives in the Iris Guild, so she probably wouldn't get caught.
"If that's top-tier stealth, then yeah, Mana Sensitivity is totally busted."
With my awakening in [Mana Sensitivity], my detection abilities had skyrocketed.
At this level, I didn't really need to worry about ambushes anymore.
"Nom, what'd you say?"
"Nothing. Eat up."
Since Liliana won the bet about whether Scarlett would think of betraying me today, dinner was chicken.
Biting into the deliciously mana-infused chicken, I tapped on my smartwatch.
I'd originally planned to meet Moon Surin during the festival, but after the terror attack, she was probably swamped as student council president.
- Me: Surin noona. I figured you'd be busy, so I'm leaving a message. Let's definitely have a meal once things calm down.
'No reply.'
She usually replied quickly no matter how busy she was, so it seemed she was seriously busy now.
- Me: A-Young, are you busy? I heard there are a ton of injured.
"...."
Did everyone collectively get addicted to work?
Baek A-Young should at least have a moment to reply.
"She must be busy too."
It'd be weird if she were always waiting for my messages. Everyone has their own stuff going on.
'...She's not mad, is she?'
I mean, I was pretty harsh.
'Next time I see her, I'll make it up to her.'
It was time to solidly capture at least one person.
Whether that first would be Baek A-Young or Lumi, I wasn't sure.
After finishing my chicken, I took off my cadet uniform and hung it up.
"Hm?"
There was something in my pocket, and when I pulled it out, it was a red lucky pouch.
It was empty inside, and the equipment status screen said it was just a normal pouch.
"Junk. Oh, right."
Seeing the pouch reminded me about the Demon King.
I needed to ask Liliana if she knew about him.
I tossed the pouch into the trash like a goal and entered Liliana's room, where she was preparing for a stream.
"Liliana. Got a minute?"
"I'm about to stream. Why?"
"Do you know who the Demon King is?"
"Hm? The Demon King? You mean the Demon King of Hell?"
"You do know?!"
She knows? As expected, Liliana really is a helpful succubus.
"Of course I do. But why do you ask about the Demon King?"
"Just curious. Tell me what you know."
"I don't know that much either... The Demon King is the ruler of Hell and the strongest being. Normal folks like me don't know many details."
"Tch. That's disappointing."
She's so ambiguous—always on the edge of being helpful or not.
If she would just pick a side clearly, it'd be easier. She keeps raising my hopes.
"No one asked you! I have to stream now. Get out."
"Alright. Good luck."
I couldn't interrupt her work.
After leaving her room, I wondered what to do.
The cadets had been ordered to stay in the dorms today due to safety concerns.
"Should've kept Scarlett around to play."
Sent her off too early. Elise is probably at home anyway.
"Maybe Liliana's mom knows something."
After Liliana's stream, I should check the Contract of Hell again.
To kill time, I lay down and fiddled with my smartwatch.
Sometimes it's okay to laze around. I work my ass off most of the time.
Ding-
I was watching a funny video on the sofa when a message came in.
The sender was Surin noona.
- Surin noona: Sorry for the late reply, I've been busy. Let's eat later. And don't worry about what others say.
"...?"
What's she suddenly talking about?
*
"Well then, I'll be going now. Miss Elise, it was a pleasure."
"Yes. Thank you for your time."
After the elderly mana masseur left the room, Elise gathered her underwear.
'Not this one either.'
She'd lost count of how many it had been.
The number of masseurs she'd seen was nearing fifty. With multiple sessions daily, her body was starting to feel strange.
"Haah..."
And yet, even after all those massages, she still hadn't felt that sensation again.
Elise put on her top and stepped out of her room.
"...Sebas Chan."
"Yes, milady."
Sebas Chan, having escorted the masseur out, was waiting outside Elise's room.
"It wasn't this one either."
"Understood. I will look for another masseur."
"...Are there even any left?"
She had already contacted all the popular female masseurs.
The reason today's masseur was elderly was simply because there were no suitable young ones left.
"I'll go through the list again."
"Forget it. Bringing in someone with no skill won't help."
"But if we don't..."
If not a woman, the only remaining option was a man.
That's what Sebas Chan was hinting at.
"Forget it. Let's stop looking for masseurs. It's becoming a nuisance."
Every masseur who met Elise had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Because of that, they were paid handsomely.
Not a big deal for the Iris Guild, but with dozens of masseurs, the expenses were piling up.
"Even so..."
"I'll figure it out myself. Don't worry."
Elise still hadn't told anyone that she had received a massage from Lee Hoyeon.
All this began because Elise had said, "I think I'll feel better with a mana massage."
'If it's like this, I might as well just go to Lee Hoyeon.'
"By the way, how is Scarlett doing?"
Elise had tasked her with investigating Lee Hoyeon, but she couldn't shake her unease.
It wasn't that she doubted Scarlett's skills—it was just a gut feeling.
"A report just came in. She confirmed he's having relations with the women in his home and says she'll approach cautiously. Filming isn't easy, so it sounds like a good decision."
"Hmm... I didn't expect immediate results anyway. I'll rest now."
"Yes, understood."
Sebas Chan lived in the house right next door so he could respond to any situation immediately.
Elise entered her room calmly.
As soon as she saw Sebas Chan go next door, she closed her window and activated a barrier.
'Looks like I'll have to imagine things again today.'
With no new material, she had no choice.
Elise stripped off her top and crawled under the blankets. She could feel her panties growing wet.
"Hnngh... Hnn. Lee Hoyeon..."
She furrowed her brow, recalling the survival exam.
Elise had never had sexual experience before.
Truthfully, she had been too busy to ever make time for that.
Her first exposure was Lee Hoyeon's sex, and the stimulation had been too much for her.
Since then, curiosity had led her to explore some adult media, but nothing could match the shock Lee Hoyeon had given her.
Especially the size of his cock and the way Baek A-Young and Lumi looked genuinely pleasured haunted her.
It wasn't fake—their faces were truly lost in pleasure.
Like a baby who started with baby food but tasted chicken too early and could never go back.
While masturbating and rubbing her clit, Elise imagined Baek A-Young's pleasured expression.
"Hnnng..."
Elise's body twitched, and she climaxed.
"Haa... haa..."
But once wasn't enough.
She remembered the time she got a massage from Lee Hoyeon.
Her whole body heating up, blood circulating faster, heart pounding, spine tingling.
Only after discovering masturbation did she realize what that sensation was.
It was arousal.
'I got turned on from Lee Hoyeon's massage. Am I some kind of pervert?'
Even as she thought that, Elise couldn't stop her fingers.
"Lee Hoyeon... uuh..."
As she relived the massage sensation, she imagined Lee Hoyeon's cock entering Lumi.
[Hoyeon, it feels good. So good. Aang...]
Lumi's pleasured moans echoed in Elise's ears.
Touching her dripping pussy, Elise panted heavily.
"H-Hoyeon... Me too... ngh."
Calling out Lee Hoyeon's name while masturbating helped her immerse more, making climax feel more satisfying.
It was something she had learned during her sessions.
"Hnng, ah... Hoyeon. Haah."
Elise kept at it for a long time, lost in her masturbation.
And from the ceiling of Elise's room, Scarlett thought:
'I might actually get a reward for this...!'
Scarlett quietly curled her lips into a grin.