Chapter 176: Carol’s Gambit
The quiz on potionology knowledge lasted for just over an hour, mainly because it was almost time for lunch.
During this time, Hilna not only made numerous mistakes but also let out some regretful moans that shouldn’t have been there.
Kailun believed she must be regretting her ignorance. If she had more knowledge, she wouldn’t be in this predicament.
“Snap!”
With a snap of his fingers, Kailun ended the quiz and casually cast a spell to purify the air.
Normally, everyone ate their meals separately, only occasionally gathering for a meal at a long table.
Kailun didn’t have many requirements. As long as they didn’t cause him trouble, everyone was free to do as they pleased.
“Your performance was very disappointing. Study harder this afternoon. I’ll quiz you again in my bedroom tonight.”
Kailun closed the book with a look of regret. The time was too short, and he wasn’t satisfied yet.
The new bed not only had the effect of slowing down time but was also much larger. Adding Hilna wouldn’t be a problem.
“Can you spare me? I really can’t answer any more questions. You can ask Winnie. She won’t refuse.”
Hilna weakly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth with Kailun’s shoulder. It wasn’t her fault; it was a natural reaction when she rolled her eyes and looked at the ceiling.
Kailun had become much stronger again. No matter how hard she tried to catch up, she couldn’t.
The gap between them was infinitely wide. Just an hour of questioning almost took her life.
For a moment, Hilna felt like she was really dead. That feeling of floating in the air, weightless and empty, couldn’t be achieved by a living person.
She tried to stand up, supporting herself on Kailun’s shoulder, but after several attempts, she collapsed back down, causing secondary damage.
“Ugh~”
Hilna moaned. This time, she really couldn’t stand up.
The sensation was still there, and Kailun even twitched slightly.
“No need to get up. I’ll have someone bring lunch over. You can feed me.”
Kailun waved to a passing maid, asking her to tell Carol that lunch would be served in the courtyard today.
“I was wrong. I’m willing to fulfill my previous promise and send Shirley to you.”
Hilna, sitting on Kailun’s lap, looked into his eyes, tears streaming down her face.
“Your attitude is acceptable, but I don’t want Shirley anymore. I find bullying you more interesting. And weren’t you enjoying yourself while answering the questions just now?”
Kailun wrapped his arms around Hilna, his hands measuring her slender waist.
Hilna’s waist was very thin, probably small enough to be encircled by his hands. Sometimes, Kailun wondered if he would break it.
Fortunately, she was very flexible, so that wouldn’t happen.
Hilna could only glare at Kailun pitifully.
Pitiful, weak, and “inedible.”
“Yes, that’s the look I like, the look of grievance that can’t be expressed. I enjoy it the most. Remember to keep it up. If you ever stop hating me, I’ll lose a lot of fun.”
Kailun pressed down on Hilna’s waist, pushing her down a bit further.
Hilna’s eyes became even more hazy with desire. “I will always hate you, forever, for the rest of my life.”
Kailun nodded with satisfaction. “Good, that’s the attitude. I can feel the change in your heart, the tightening grip as if you’re trying to strangle me. If you’re even more ruthless, you can try to bear me a daughter and have her divide my power. If you’re even more ruthless, you can even pester me with questions day and night, depriving me of my time. Of course, this is only if you can handle it.”
Kailun chuckled and picked up the potionology book from the table, handing it to Hilna. “Take a look. I’ve corrected the mistakes.”
Hilna, lost in thought, took the book from Kailun and casually flipped through a few pages. She noticed many changes in the content.
They seemed reasonable and without any major issues, but they still needed to be verified through experiments.
At least for now, Hilna felt that Kailun had just done it casually. After all, as far as she knew, he hadn’t studied potionology before.
As Kailun’s potionology teacher, she knew that he wasn’t interested in this subject before.
She was his teacher at the Magic Academy, but after just over a month, the roles had reversed. It felt a bit strange.
She looked up at his young face, his deep gaze making her feel lost for a moment.
She was much older than Kailun, already in her early twenties, but compared to him, she wasn’t mature enough.
Her former pride had been completely shattered, leaving only a submissive attitude. But as her knowledge grew, she was surprised to find that her hatred for Kailun was gradually diminishing.
Now, their positions were no longer antagonistic. Strictly speaking, it was more like a subordinate relationship. She had lost all initiative.
When she came back to her senses, she realized that one of her hands was already on Kailun’s cheek, as if she were caressing a lover’s face.
“It seems that Her Highness is already brimming with spring love.” Kailun commented.
“Pervert!”
Hilna cursed as she felt Kailun “thrust” into her.
“Let’s eat. Carol and the others are here.”
Kailun smiled, looking at Carol and the others approaching the courtyard with lunch.
Not many people were joining them for lunch today. Besides the dangerous-looking Carol, there were only Illusion and Vivian. Afra was probably giving the young knights extra training, and Winnie and Bella had disappeared somewhere.
After lunch, Kailun “released” Hilna, who was trembling. He comforted the slightly angry Carol and then immersed himself in studying the parchment scrolls.
Carol sat beside him, meditating with a box of magic crystals in her arms. Occasionally, he could hear the “crunch” of her crushing the crystals.
Fortunately, she was only crushing the crystals after absorbing their energy, not wasting them. Otherwise, Kailun might have to quiz her on her studies.
Later, Chrissy came to find Kailun secretly with Helena. After some flirting, she didn’t achieve anything, so she had to take Helena to the warehouse and exchange some supplies she needed.
Recently, the Pope had explicitly ordered her not to have too much contact with Kailun, so she couldn’t stay at the manor for long. She left a letter for Kailun and then sneaked out of the manor with Helena through the back door.
At 5:00 PM, Edlin found Kailun with the contract. She stammered, asking what the punishment was.
Kailun told her to play chess with Carol. She would earn 100,000 gold coins for every win and lose 1,000 gold coins for every loss.
For such a “rewarding” punishment, Edlin agreed without hesitation.
However, in the next two hours, Edlin suffered a miserable twenty-game losing streak, losing all her remaining gold coins.
20,100 gold coins. That was all she had left.
“How did you know I had over 20,000 gold coins?”
Edlin knelt before the chessboard, tears welling up in her eyes.
Kailun put down his communication device. “I didn’t know you had 20,000 gold coins, nor did I know you would lose twenty games in a row. Your performance really surprised me. But it’s not your fault. Carol’s chess skills are indeed far superior to that of ordinary people.”
Carol, hearing Kailun praising her, puffed out her chest proudly, a satisfied look on her face.
“If I had known…” Edlin wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
Kailun interrupted her. “Don’t say ‘if I had known.’ This is your own choice. How about this? I’ll give you another chance. Play chess with me. You’ll still get 100,000 gold coins for winning and lose 1,000 for losing. Do you want to take it, Dean Edlin?”
“Slap!”
Edlin immediately slammed the chessboard on the table and said with a gleeful smile, “Let’s start now. But no cheating! You can’t let Carol give you hints.”
“Calling you a gambling addict is an understatement. Time is limited. I’ll only play one game with you.”
Kailun set up the chess pieces and made the first move.
“I’m not a gambling addict! I just need a lot of money! I have to make the Pope pay for what she did!”
She moved her piece, her voice firm.
“Just the Pope is too narrow-minded. You should set your sights on the entire Temple of the Celestial God.” As he spoke, Kailun captured Edlin’s piece.
The petite Edlin looked at Kailun’s move with confusion. She thought for a long time before capturing one of his pieces in return.
It felt like he was giving her free pieces, not taking the game seriously.
To avoid being distracted, Edlin shut her mouth and focused all her attention on the chessboard.
However, as the game progressed, she realized that Kailun was really giving her free pieces. In less than five minutes, he was on the verge of losing.
“Sigh, what a pity. I lost. Should I flip the board?”
Kailun dropped his last piece and leaned forward, looking at Edlin with an aggressive gaze.
“Are you going back on your word?!” Edlin was startled.
She thought Kailun was going to break his promise, as they hadn’t signed a contract.
“Of course… I’m just kidding.”
Kailun pushed a handwritten note towards Edlin. “Take this note to Phils. She’ll give you 80,000 gold coins. As for why it’s 20,000 less, it’s because you lost 20,000 to Carol just now.”
The unexpected answer confused Edlin even more. This obvious act of throwing the game didn’t fit Kailun’s personality.
Was there a hidden motive?
She took the note from Kailun and asked tentatively, “How about I spend the night with you? I don’t feel comfortable taking this money otherwise.”
Edlin wasn’t sincere about selling herself, unless Kailun was willing to write off her debt.
Kailun seemed to see through Edlin’s intentions. He reached out to her. “Sure, I just happen to have some new furniture. It would be nice to have someone test it out.”
“No, no, no. I was just kidding. Don’t mind me. By the way, Lord Kailun, I’ve accepted the job you mentioned. I guarantee I’ll complete the task. Time is tight, and the task is heavy. I have to make some preparations tonight. Excuse me, see you next time~”
Edlin gave Kailun a charming wink and then ran away with the note.
She believed that her charm had a slight effect on Kailun. Given time, she might be able to sell herself for a good price.
If Kailun knew what Edlin was thinking, he would definitely burst out laughing. Her thinking had been completely misled from the start.
“Master, why did you give Edlin money? Do you really like her?” Carol walked over to the table and started clearing the chessboard and pieces.
Kailun shook his head. “No, the truth is, Edlin will need a lot of money to successfully send those miners to the Temple of the Celestial God. Her remaining gold coins aren’t enough to complete the task. Of course, I’ll have Phils transfer the 20,000 gold coins you earned to you as pocket money.”
To send ten thousand people to the Temple of the Celestial God in a short time, they would need to use teleportation magic circles. The cost wouldn’t be small.
Moreover, smuggling the miners into the Celestial Empire might also cost a lot of money.
Edlin would also have to spend money hiring people to guard and escort them. Therefore, Kailun was considering the bigger picture.
“I understand. By the way, Master, can I see Edlin’s special magic?”
Carol suddenly remembered something and approached Kailun curiously.
She didn’t care about the 20,000 gold coins as pocket money, because she belonged to Kailun.
“I can show it to you, but do you really want to learn it? I don’t think this magic is necessary for you right now.”
Kailun glanced at Carol’s figure.
Carol: “No, I just think this magic is worth studying.”
Kailun: “Alright, the scroll recording the special magic is in my study. I’ll give it to you later. Also, your new clothes are already being made. You’ll see them in two days.”
Carol moved closer. “Is it a new maid outfit?”
Kailun patted her head. “No, it’s a surprise.”
[Edlin successfully received 80,000 gold coins. She thinks you’re the kindest person in the world. She wouldn’t mind if you forced her to spend the night with you. Goodwill +5]
An hour later, Kailun received a goodwill notification from Edlin. For a gullible former Saint like her, Kailun didn’t even bother using deception to get her into bed.
For a money-grubber like her, he just needed to cover the bed with gold coins, and then he could “bully” her while watching her count the coins with a gleeful smile.
Hopeless.
More people joined them for dinner tonight. Besides Afra, who had returned, there were also Anna and Ella, who had been busy all day.
They sat at a long table for dinner. Kailun sat at the head of the table, with Afra and Carol on either side. The two elves stood behind him.
Since they were all familiar with each other, there weren’t many rules at the table. They ate and drank freely. Winnie and Bella seemed to be the happiest, while Hilna was the most troubled.
After dinner, Kailun announced the news of the new bed and invited Hilna and Illusion to join the “inspection” that night.
Some were happy, and some were worried. Illusion was happy, while Hilna, Bella, and Vivian were worried.
Vivian played with her unfinished wood carving, her face sullen. Bella looked at Winnie with regret. They needed to work harder.
As for Hilna, she was even more miserable. She had only finished one-fifth of the book in the entire afternoon and couldn’t handle Kailun’s quiz at all.
Carol secretly kicked Kailun under the table. She wasn’t happy with this arrangement either.
“Ahem.” Kailun coughed awkwardly. “I know the new ‘prop’ has a powerful effect. It can accelerate everyone’s growth. However, it has a limited capacity, so we can only take turns using it. For now, we’ll follow a rotation system to ensure that everyone can enjoy the special boost. It’s worth mentioning that daytime is a free period. Bella and Carol can use it during the day, so your progress will be faster.”
Afra and Anna were regulars. Ella had the ability to provide a percentage increase in attribute points, thanks to her “Natural Charm” talent.
Even a mosquito’s leg was still meat. Kailun was willing to improve slowly.
If Isabella joined them later, would his daily improvement increase even more?
Kailun didn’t think further. The current Isabella was just a partner. He didn’t have any other thoughts about her. He couldn’t muster any interest in her extremely petite body.
It would be too sinful, even more sinful than with Vivian.
“Ugh, vulgar!”
Vivian blushed and ran away with her wood carving. Just as she reached the door, she turned back and added, “Let me make it clear, I don’t want to sleep with you. I just want to become stronger. Don’t misunderstand.”
Vivian saw the teasing looks in Illusion and Kailun’s eyes and couldn’t help but cover her face and flee.
She had said all that hoping Kailun would feel guilty and stop her, but the bastard not only ignored her but also laughed at her.
Hilna wanted to ask to switch with Vivian, but Kailun stopped her with a look.
Leaving the task of cleaning up the table to the elf sisters, Kailun took Carol to the study.
“Master, what is this world really like?”
Carol asked as Kailun went to the bookshelf to retrieve a scroll.
He took Edlin’s scroll and placed it on the table, asking in return, “Have you been having strange dreams again?”
“Yes, I dreamed of some strange scenes.”
Carol walked over to Kailun and opened the scroll with her hand. “I’m sure I’ve never been to the Abyss, but I remember the scenery there. I even saw Bella. It was a bit blurry, but I’m sure it was her.”
Kailun: “Did you dream of me?”
“Yes, you taught me a lot of magic in the dream, but it felt very strange. Like it was real, but also fake.” Carol rarely looked worried.
“So why are you asking this question?” Kailun asked gently, stroking Carol’s hair.
“I want to be closer to you, so I want to know your secrets. Is that okay?”
Carol took another step forward, stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to Kailun’s face, and stuck out her tongue, trying to lick his lips.
She expressed her attachment without reservation, her innocent appearance endearing.
Kailun couldn’t answer this question right now, so he responded by sticking out his tongue.
This was Carol’s gambit. She knew he wouldn’t answer, but she still asked, just for a kiss.
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