“Anne?”

Looking at the elegant girl sitting on top of him, Muen Campbell’s brain short-circuited for a moment.

Why was she here?

Hadn’t she already left?

No—this wasn’t the time to be wondering about that.

Because right now, Anne didn’t look elegant at all.

“Young Master~”

Anne’s lovely face was tinged with red as she pinned Muen down firmly, eyes gleaming with an excitement like molten lava, as if it would overflow at any moment.

“Why are you hiding from me?”

“I...”

Looking at Anne, Muen licked his dry lips.

Come on, how could he not hide?

If he didn’t, and she saw him on a date with another girl, wouldn’t she go on a killing spree?

“W-What do you mean hiding? I have no idea what you’re talking about, Anne.”

Muen lied through his teeth with a perfectly straight face:

“I just went out to buy something, and since it got too late to return to the Academy, I stayed at a hotel. I haven’t had any contact with any women all day.”

“Liar~”

“I’m absolutely not lying! If I am, then... then... then may I never escape the title of scumbag for the rest of my life!”

“Heh, is that so?”

Anne narrowed her eyes slightly and let out a soft laugh.

“Then who were those two women I saw earlier today?”

“T-Today?”

Cold sweat began pouring down his back like a waterfall.

“What women? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Young Master, you didn’t think...”

Anne bent down like a cat, leaning in close to Muen’s ear, and whispered softly:

“...that I wouldn’t see through such a clumsy disguise, did you?”

“......”

Her gentle voice echoed in his ears, but to Muen, it was like thunder splitting the heavens.

Clumsy?

You call that clumsy?

A disguise not even hundreds of people at the school noticed, and you saw through it instantly.

Who’s the real problem here?!

His vision went dark.

It was over.

Anne had really already found out long ago.

Everything was over!

“Young Master, sneaking off to date other women behind my back—you really are bad.”

Anne leaned in even closer, her soft body pressing gently against his chest.

But Muen had no time to appreciate the feel of that exquisite softness.

His body was already trembling instinctively.

What to do?

Fight, or run?

His dagger was within reach. Judging from Anne’s abnormal state, this blade, which had been forged personally by Professor Meladomir, should be able to bypass the power of Divine Favor. At this range, if he launched a surprise attack, Anne wouldn’t even have time to react.

But—

How could he possibly raise a blade against Anne?

Run, then?

But she already had him pinned—getting away wasn’t going to be easy.

And if he didn’t run, with Anne’s personality... once she found out he’d been with another woman, she might really break his limbs and lock him up!

While Muen’s mind spun rapidly, # Nоvеlight # Anne’s body had already completely leaned onto his.

His muscles tensed.

What would she do next?

Knock him out on the spot?

Inject him with something?

Or, worse yet... do something even more extreme?

“Young Master, I missed you so much.”

But none of the scenarios Muen had imagined came to pass.

Anne simply embraced him tightly, pressing every inch of her body against his, her nose brushing across his chest, his neck, his cheek—greedily drinking in his scent.

“Young Master, I missed you so much.” Anne murmured again and again, as if pouring out all the longing she had bottled up during their time apart.

“......”

Muen was momentarily dazed. Anne’s behavior was completely unexpected.

So gentle... was this really Anne?

The same Anne who had once imprisoned him, drugged him, even tried to break his limbs?

Was this a dream?

“Young Master, you’re not still thinking... that I’d do something to hurt you, are you?”

Anne whispered into his ear, breath warm with fragrance.

“I told you already, haven’t I? I’ve changed—just as you’ve changed, too.

I won’t do anything to hurt you anymore.

So—”

As she held him tightly, Muen could hear in her voice—a voice usually calm, refined, composed—a faint, fragile plea.

“Young Master, if you ever have time... come home and visit.”

The words were soft, yet struck his heart like the heaviest hammer.

Gently cradling the most vulnerable part of him.

Muen stared at the girl before him, rare gentleness showing on her face, and blanked out.

So back then, what Anne said wasn’t a lie just to trick him into returning?

She really had changed. She was no longer the yandere possessed by obsessive madness.

Now she was more like a girl in love.

Muen awkwardly shifted his hands, unsure where to place them, and in the end could only slowly wrap them around the girl’s slim waist.

And respond softly:

“Okay.”

Muen felt that delicate body soften even more.

In that moment, the two of them held each other, quietly sharing each other’s warmth.

Serene. Beautiful.

But it didn’t take long before Muen felt something small and warm and wet mischievously gliding across his chest—and those dainty hands starting to grow restless.

“Wait, what are you trying to do?”

Muen caught Anne’s little hands, alarmed.

“What am I trying to do?”

Anne looked up, her face even redder, like a ripe fruit ready to burst.

She stared directly into Muen’s eyes, licking her cherry lips with a playful tongue, her voice full of suggestive allure:

“It’s been two whole months since I last saw you, Young Master. You don’t really think I’ve been able to hold it in, do you?

I need to replenish your energy right away.”

As she spoke, Anne lowered her head again, gently licking his chest like a little cat.

“T-Today’s not a good time, right? Maybe another day?”

Come on, he had just gone on what was arguably a date with another girl during the day—sure, it was a one-sided assumption on his part, but still—and now here he was, about to sleep with another girl at night? Even the worst kind of scumbag wouldn’t do something that beastly.

“Oh? You don’t want to, Young Master?”

Anne fluttered her eyes, clearly not taking no for an answer. She suddenly stood up and flipped open a corner of her maid outfit—he hadn’t even noticed when it came undone.

Revealing pale skin, and—

“Not even if I’m wearing special see-through lace lingerie tonight?”

“...You think see-through lace lingerie is enough to shake my will?”

Muen swallowed hard and scoffed:

“You’re seriously underestimating me, Anne.”

“Then...”

Anne bit her lip, seductively lifting her skirt just a little more.

“What if I add stockings?”

“......”

“Black ones—your favorite.”

“......”

......

......

In the end, Muen couldn’t resist. As the girl giggled, he pounced.

And at that very moment, from the endless void, the mysterious and unfathomable Divine Crab Beast descended and, with its supreme divine powers, concealed all information from this place.