I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

Chapter 403

"Natalie, head to the right fin and slice through the Leviathan's fin!"

"Understood, hero!"

"Thomas, follow her and provide support! You know what to do, right?"

"Yeah, got it!"

A giant sea creature, a deep-sea Leviathan, appeared on the beach. The hero’s party stood ready to face it, with barnacles covering its monstrous, anglerfish-like body. Naturally, Ethan and I were among them.

"Ethan, could you take on the left fin?"

"I should be able to buy some time. If I have Lilith’s support, we might even be able to cut through a bit."

"Then I’m counting on you! Head to the left fin with Miss Rosewood and handle it together!"

"Understood."

"I’m on it!"

"The Leviathan’s weak against fire, so Agnes, start preparing your strongest fire spell! Prince Antonio, you…."

There was the hero, commanding his party from the front lines. Though I had known him for a long time, it was my first time seeing him lead a battle like this.

Then again, this was also the first time I was formally involved in a fight as part of the hero's party.

'There’s no time for distractions right now.'

The hero knew his stuff, and I trusted him to handle the deployment without my interference. He had already managed the hero party without me, so including me, Ethan, and even Antonio in the strategy showed his adaptability as a leader.

"Lilith, give me a sharp blade!"

"Yes, Master Ethan!"

Just as usual, I infused his weapon with a sharp blade enhancement after replenishing his mana, then immediately prepared a barrier and arcane arrows to fend off any incoming attacks.

Though this Leviathan might be the toughest opponent I’d faced since arriving in this world, I felt no fear. Ethan and I were merely handling one of the creature's fins, while the main body would be dealt with by the hero party, with Agnes providing fire support.

"Sire, duck your head!"

-Whoosh!-

Even in this battle, all that was required of us was to fulfill our assigned roles.

?Lilith has reached level 35!?

?Lilith has reached level 36!?

After about thirty minutes of intense fighting, with the combined efforts of Ethan and the hero party, we finally defeated the deep-sea Leviathan. With that, our marine studies class—the final class of the first semester—also came to an end.

'Just how many boss monsters have we defeated this semester alone?'

No matter the destination, whether it was alongside the hero or a separate path, it always seemed to lead to a boss battle. If every location we visited was going to throw a boss at us, perhaps sticking with the hero's party next semester wouldn't be a bad idea.

?

After completing Luminar Academy’s marine studies class, one of the semester’s exploration courses, the students left Plyana Beach. A lone, blond-haired woman stood on the now-quiet shore, gazing at the setting sun.

"I was worried things might go south at some point, but everything turned out fine in the end~!"

It was Professor Lucietta, the marine studies instructor, in a daring sling-shot swimsuit. She breathed a sigh of relief, reflecting on the minor mishaps and dangerous monster encounters that had fortunately been resolved.

"That hero really is something~! Taking down that Leviathan without hesitation…."

"Why do you look so pleased with yourself?"

"..."

Before she could relax, she was approached by Seraphina, the Third Princess of the Empire, who seemed to have something to say.

"Oh my, to what do I owe the pleasure~? It’s not every day that a noble princess comes all this way to see me…."

"Why are you even pretending? I saw through you from the first day. There’s a limit to how shameless one can be."

"…"

"Just what are you plotting, Lucietta? Why is someone who should have no connection to the Academy suddenly taking on the role of a marine studies professor?"

The princess's blonde hair gleamed, a color synonymous with the Argantia Imperial family. While others dismissed Lucietta's hair as mere dye, Seraphina recognized her as Lucietta Maria Valtoria, the Second Princess of Argantia and her own older sister.

"Weren’t you done with me, little sister? Didn’t you say you didn’t care anymore whether I lived or died?"

"That was before you reappeared in front of me! Where is the original professor of this class?"

"Oh, he was very gentlemanly about it~. He quickly stepped aside when I, well, persuaded him with a little… charm."

"You—you’re unbelievable…!"

Seraphina had always driven herself to embody the virtues of a royal, preparing herself to lead the Empire. Her sister’s carefree, irresponsible attitude was something she could never tolerate. Lucietta’s freedom always seemed to bring trouble to Seraphina.

"Was squandering Mother’s fortune and running away not enough? Now you’re here to disgrace our family by corrupting the Academy’s students?!"

"Corrupting them~? I was simply filling in for the professor and carrying out his curriculum."

"Why don’t you take off that vulgar swimsuit and say that again?!"

"If I undress here, I’d be naked. My, how scandalous~."

"I’d prefer that over that pathetic excuse for clothing!"

Seraphina threw a bag of clothes at Lucietta, which spilled onto the sand, revealing a modest set of attire: a shirt, skirt, and underwear.

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing you were throughout this entire course? If you must disgrace yourself, do it alone! How much lower will you drag our family’s name?"

"What are you talking about? I went to great lengths to keep a low profile by using an alias and avoiding anything that might indicate I’m royalty. Who would guess that a woman wearing this swimsuit and speaking like this is royalty?"

"The hero saw right through you! And even if no one else did, at least have the decency not to be ashamed as a human!"

"That again, Seraphina? Like I’ve always said, I didn’t choose to be born royal. I just live how I want to~."

"Then live that way somewhere out of my sight! Why are you meddling in Academy affairs…?"

"Because it’s fun~?"

Seraphina was rendered speechless by Lucietta’s carefree response. Lucietta continued, unfazed, explaining why she’d taken on the role of a substitute professor.

"You saw it, didn’t you? Those male students gawking and drooling just because their pretty professor wore a slightly revealing swimsuit. How cute they were, so obsessed with sex that they’d do anything to get my attention. Collecting dozens of treasure orbs, building sandcastles that wouldn’t last a day… Men are most easily motivated by their lust, you know~?"

"You wore that ridiculous outfit for a whole week just to watch that?"

"Don’t underestimate it~. Men’s lust, when properly directed, can be a powerful motivator for self-improvement."

"All you did was indulge in a little play."

"Who knows? Maybe one of them will take today’s memory and work even harder, driven by the hope that one day, they might be with a beautiful, sexy woman like me~."

"…"

"Why don’t you try it, Seraphina? Maybe the hero could use some ‘motivational assistance’ too~?"

"T-The hero isn’t like that!"

"Hmm~? Didn’t seem entirely that way to me. Perhaps you just haven’t tried?"

Seraphina couldn’t entirely dismiss her sister’s words. A similar suggestion had once come from someone else as well.

‘Sir Dan Blackwood improved his swordsmanship tremendously in his quest to best his father, becoming a top talent in the Academy’s fencing club. Of course, I ensured he was rewarded for his efforts every step of the way.’

Sir Dan, a highly skilled noble of the Blackwood family, was a prime example of channeling desires toward constructive pursuits. Seraphina had once heard of him, and Lucietta, as her older sister, had picked up on her reaction.

"Want to borrow my swimsuit if you’re planning to seduce someone? It’s second-hand, but…"

"N-No! Just change into the clothes I gave you and disappear somewhere! And please, stop parading around like this in front of the hero!"

"Alright, Seraphina, I wish you the best in your love endeavors~. I don’t know how it’ll turn out, but good luck~."

Lucietta picked up the bag, showing no intention of changing as she nonchalantly strolled away. Seraphina turned away, vowing never to see her again.