No Such Thing as a Chaste Man! Just Give It Ten Tries! - Chapter 17
Flirtatious gazes.
Or, eyes that desired her.
‘All dressed up to seduce His Holiness, only to attract unwanted flies instead!’
A wave of frustration welled up within her.
They posed no real threat since they weren’t worth a second thought, but it irritated her that they dared to approach her just because she wore something that accentuated her attractiveness.
Part of her wanted to grab one of them as an example and put them in their place, but she was here to show her commitment to harmony with all races, not to stay isolated as an outsider.
Besides, she considered turning the situation into a jealousy strategy.
But…
‘The one person I want to see this isn’t even looking.’
No matter how often she stole glances, Ephelinus never once looked her way.
The tightness in her chest turned into a dryness in her throat.
She kept sipping from her glass, and before she knew it, it was more than half empty. The sparkling wine’s sharp, fruity taste and refreshing bubbles filled her mouth.
It was true she didn’t want to appear as some impressive warrior or hero—she wanted to be seen as an ordinary woman.
But… the only person she truly wanted to see her that way was Ephelinus.
While it was fortunate that Miriam’s plan had worked to position her as someone ready to settle in Genève as a simple woman, the uncomfortably eager gazes from all around only left her feeling more annoyed.
She vowed never to do something this ridiculous again.
‘…I should’ve fought that battle over Count Borodel’s territory above the capital instead of in a gorge.’
Then, what? If you’d seen me fighting off seven harpies at once, would you even dare to meet my gaze? You’ve probably never even seen a drop of monster blood in your life. If I had landed covered in blood, you’d all have run off, scared of catching the plague.
Perhaps she had already drunk more than enough wine, as her musings grew increasingly intense.
She even found herself recalling her hand-to-hand fights with the black dragon and remembered how Nemion had barely managed to block the dragon’s breath that had nearly struck the civilians’ shelter. She concluded it was indeed a good decision to have fought in the isolated gorge.
“It’s been a while, Miss Seo-ah.”
The stickiest of those unwanted gazes finally revealed itself as the figure approached her.
“The night at the Sun Palace is truly beautiful. Perhaps it is because the Saintess of Sol is here with us…”
A young human man with brown, curly hair swept to one side held a golden glass of wine in each hand.
Recognizing him, Seo-ah’s brow tightened slightly.
“Saintess of Sol, Savior of Genève, it is an honor to meet you.”
“It’s been a while, Lord Livo.”
“I wanted to greet you earlier, but… as one would expect, it’s hard to find a moment to speak privately with a hero of Sol.”
Not that we’re meant to be speaking privately anyway. Seo-ah hoped her mild discomfort didn’t show as she forced a polite smile she had practiced with Lady Miriam Istel.
Livo Arsene was a prominent figure in the capital’s high society, though for reasons that were far from positive.
He was the grandson of Duke Remus, the Speaker of the Senate, and from his mother’s side, he was distantly related to the old royal family.
This pedigree left him arrogant since birth. Though the aristocratic hierarchy had become largely irrelevant under the republic, the status of being the Senate Speaker’s direct descendant and a royal relative still commanded respect.
But Seo-ah didn’t care about his elder family members. What mattered to her was that this infamous playboy wouldn’t stop throwing flirtatious glances her way.
Perhaps a night with the foreign hero would make a rather appealing trophy for him…?
He offered her one of the wine glasses with a perfect, symmetrical smile, proudly displaying his flawless teeth.
“This is Moneren wine from my uncle’s estate. It may be unfamiliar to the Saintess of Sol, but among the old kingdom’s nobility, it’s considered the finest dessert wine.”
“Ah… I’m honored that you would share it.”
“I noticed you seemed a bit thirsty from across the room…”
Feeling an involuntary shiver at the words ‘from across the room’, Seo-ah accepted the glass.
The liquid inside swirled with a weight that hinted at its richness, and even from a short distance, the sweet aroma of ripe grapes wafted toward her. Its golden color sparkled like a visual delight.
But…
‘Is it safe?’
