天堂www天堂网

[What, what\'s going on?! The reaction isn\'t as hot as expected!]

The voice of a young man in his early twenties echoed from the smartwatch.

"I\'m sorry… Manipulating public opinion isn\'t an overnight task. We\'re working hard, so please calm down for now…"

[Calm down? I am calm right now! Think about the cash you\'re raking in for this crap! Bring down Lee Hoyeon. Make sure that bastard can\'t hold his head up again!]

"Yes, yes. I understand. From today, I\'ll be more bold in my actions."

[Fine! If you don\'t show results, I\'ll tell my father to make sure you never set foot on this damn planet again!]

Beep

"Haa… This moron, I swear." The man in the chair stuck a cigarette in his mouth.

"Please, calm down." The secretary nearby spoke and sparked a light.

As the man blew out a mix of smoke and sigh, he said, "You heard it? Tomorrow, contact the Shin Young Guild connections at the academy."

"Already…? The public opinion hasn\'t properly reacted yet. If we wait a little longer, we can easily sway it in no time."

"Just do it. They\'ll handle their own crap. Those damn idiots."

"Yes, I understand. It seems the Shin Young Guild will have a tough time."

"Not handling your own brat is a damn flaw. We\'ll just do what we\'re told. If things screw up, we\'ll scatter some evidence about the Shin Young Guild and run away." The man exhaled a cloud of white cigarette smoke.

***

Sunday morning, I shook off the lingering drowsiness and got out of bed. After grabbing water from the fridge and taking a sip, I energized myself with shadowboxing in the living room.

"Hup, Hup!"

It\'s a technique I\'ve used for a while to instantly wake up.

"You\'re doing something strange again…" Liliana muttered, glancing at me, but I ignored her.

Today holds significance as it\'s the day I visit Alice\'s house – a historic occasion with a scheduled time of 10 a.m. Considering there might not be a meal served, a hearty breakfast is in order.

"Liliana, breakfast is spicy pork stir-fry. There\'s some left from yesterday."

Following the recipe, I unintentionally made four servings instead of three. Surprisingly, Scarlett didn\'t eat much, leaving a considerable amount.

"Whatever. It\'s all the same to me if it\'s not chicken."

"You\'re turning into a chicken enthusiast…"

For some time now, we\'ve been ordering only chicken, and now I\'ve fully embraced the chicken obsession, even though the master worked hard to make spicy pork stir-fry. Tsk! I should savor it.

Despite saying that, Liliana joined me for breakfast.

"Hmm, it\'s not bad when you eat it. It\'s delicious."

"Thanks."

After breakfast, it was 8:30 a.m., and the appointment time was drawing near.

Alice\'s house isn\'t far from the academy, so I thoroughly cleaned up and got ready to go.

While there might not be a need for it, human affairs are unpredictable, so I washed every nook and cranny, including my lower part.

Using body wash generously to avoid any scent, I felt refreshed as I dried my hair in front of the mirror when Liliana approached.

"Come to think of it, your massage yesterday… Can you do it again later?"

"Why?"

"It feels like my mana circulates faster after it. I think… it would be helpful if I get it regularly."

"Really?"

"Yeah, why would I lie?"

I\'ve contemplated before whether my massage has a genuine effect.

After receiving my massage, Alice\'s movements did seem strangely quicker. So, I planned to use it on myself in the training room this afternoon, and with Liliana vouching for it, it seems quite certain. I must try it in the afternoon.

"Did I accidentally level up to massage god status or something?"

"Anyway, please massage me again~"

I nodded and tousled Liliana\'s head. Massaging isn\'t that difficult anyway.

"Not bad. Very nice." I finished preparing to venture out. Using my smartwatch, I sought self-hair-setting tips for men and tried my hand at styling my hair. It turned out quite well.

"Liliana, how\'s my hair?"

"Looks cool but you look creepy, ew…" Liliana vigorously rubbed her arms with her hands.

If it looks good, just say it. No need for the extra commentary.

"I\'m off. Take care of the place. Go play with Scarlett if she drops by."

"Yeah, bye."

I strolled down the street, eyeing Alice\'s house address.

"To 203… This way."

Alice\'s given address screamed opulence. Among the lavish residences, the one she pinpointed stood out as the grandest.

"Hold on, she did ask me to sneak in quietly there."

With a mansion this massive and someone as famous as Alice residing in it, there\'s no way I can slip in without raising some eyebrows.

I shot her a quick message.

[Me: Open the door, I\'ll cast a perception interference barrier.]

I wrapped myself in a Rune Barrier as I entered the alley. It was a beefed-up version compared to my usual barriers. Even someone skilled like Scarlett might sense it, but for regular folks, it\'s undetectable.

[Alice: Door\'s open, come on in.]

Simultaneously with the message, the mansion\'s front door cracked open. I cautiously glided in, shut the door behind me, and made my way into the mansion.

***

Exhaling deeply, Alice settled onto the sofa, awaiting Lee Hoyeon\'s arrival. Despite lingering doubts about reaching out to him, she found no alternative. He was the sole provider of the massage Alice craved.

While contemplating the possibility of consulting the previous masseur who worked with Lee Hoyeon, Alice, being a woman, favored the idea of receiving a massage from a young and handsome peer rather than an older man. Besides, he had retired, so there was no need to go searching for him.

Ping!

[Lee Hoyeon: Open the door, I\'ll cast a perception interference barrier.]

"He\'s finally here."

Alice swung the door ajar using the mansion\'s entrance control. With the exception of Sebastian and her father, Alice never had a man invade her personal space.

Perhaps due to this novelty, her heart had been pounding for a while. It wasn\'t just the anticipation of the massage or thoughts about Lee Hoyeon\'s past intimate encounters during survival test. It marked the first instance of a man from the outside entering her space.

Alice put an unnecessary effort into her attire, donning the recently acquired black skirt paired with a white blouse she fancied.

"Alice?"

"Come in. But don\'t disable the barrier."

Alice was pleasantly surprised upon seeing Lee Hoyeon. His appearance resembled the first time she encountered him during the Student Council PR Department activity, capturing the mature image that appealed to Alice back then.

Unaware of Alice\'s contemplations, Lee Hoyeon navigated through the mansion like a rural mouse exploring the city for the first time.

"Your house is incredible… Can I disable the barrier now?"

"No, you can\'t. I don\'t want my secretary to find out. Though he\'s asleep, an alarm will sound if someone other than me enters, and he\'ll rush here immediately."

Sebastian wouldn\'t normally abandon his post for such an extended period, but today, he was staying home, and Alice advised him to rest. With the alarm enchantment in place, Sebastian could enjoy a peaceful sleep.

"Should I keep it active like this?"

"There\'s no alarm enchantment in my room, just endure a bit."

With her heart still racing, Alice led the way, guiding him to her room.

"Ahem… Well, okay."

Lee Hoyeon didn\'t express any particular doubt, being well aware of Alice\'s father being an extraordinarily doting parent. Perhaps he wouldn\'t appreciate his daughter getting involved with a guy.

"… Have you prepared for the massage?"

"Yeah, but is it okay if you receive one from me?"

"It\'s fine. I\'ll pay you the same as professional masseurs."

"Got it."

Insisting on not taking money here would only raise suspicions, so Lee Hoyeon didn\'t decline the payment.

After a while, they reached Alice\'s room—a spacious, well-lit space adorned with a feminine touch from a few pink accessories. In the center was a rather large bed.

"Here\'s the contract. You can read it outside while I prepare."

"Okay."

Lee Hoyeon stepped outside, waiting for Alice\'s preparations. Listening closely, he could hear the rustling sound of clothes being taken off.

…Let\'s stop listening.

Continuing to eavesdrop might lead to strange imaginations. Lee Hoyeon distanced himself from the door and examined the contract. Seeing the deposit and massage fees, he couldn\'t help but widen his eyes.

Now I won\'t have to back down in front of Liliana.

Finally, he could become a proper head of the family. With just one massage, he could earn more than Liliana\'s monthly income. Meanwhile, inside the room, Alice began to undress.

Massage… Is it a bit much to show bare skin from the first day?

Alice began to seriously contemplate.

In the survival test, given the urgency of the situation, showing bare skin was quickly accepted. But is it right to do the same here? She thought.

However, looking at it differently, she had already exposed her bare skin. Was there really a need to go through this process? As Alice pondered, she recalled the sensation of the massage received with bare skin.

Excitement.

The sensation of mana, expanding her mana circuit. The gentle touch of Lee Hoyeon\'s hands on her back. The entire body warming up and simultaneous exhilaration as if about to take flight.

Gulp

After swallowing once, Alice slowly began to remove her clothes.

"…Come in."

"I\'m coming in."

As the door opened, Lee Hoyeon discovered Alice sitting on the bed. The black skirt remained, but she had removed the white blouse she was wearing and was using it to cover around her chest.

With a slightly flushed face, Alice, meeting Lee Hoyeon\'s eyes, lay down on the bed and pressed her chest firmly with both hands.