Chapter 50: Oh~ so it’s a meal replacement~

Stars were like diamonds, and moonlight flooded the Royal Capital, yet it could not compete with the glowing lights of the city…

Even though it was nearly midnight, the streets were filled with patrolling guards clad in thick armor.

Their steady footsteps created a rhythmic metallic clatter that could be heard from a great distance.

Inside the Royal Palace.

Lucoco, who was not used to staying in a VIP guest room, pushed open her door and stepped onto a balcony so spacious it could be called a terrace.

The balcony was surrounded by unknown purple flowers that swayed gently in the breeze.

A faint, elegant fragrance wafted into her nose, bringing peace to her mind.

Lucoco leaned against the stone railing, staring blankly at the bright moon in the sky.

Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the tender petals.

‘I wonder how my little wolf dog is doing back home…’

*Click… clatter.*

A soft sound of shifting rubble caught Lucoco’s attention.

Following the sound, she saw a figure leap nimbly from the balcony of the opposite room, landing steadily on the adjacent roof ridge.

It was Prince Adrian — and he was waving at her.

What was this?

A late-night tryst where the prince climbs through windows?

How romantic.

The prince approached, then he stopped.

What was he gesturing?

A heart?

Clearly not.

Between the buildings where the prince was attempting his “rendezvous” lay a “chasm” several meters wide!

A few meters might be nothing to an Awakened, but the roof beneath his feet could not withstand the force of a heavy jump.

The next day, rumors would surely spread: “Prince Adrian, in a fit of late-night passion, climbed the rooftops to observe the intimate affairs of the nobility and accidentally fell!”

It would be the laughingstock of the city.

So, should she help him or not?

She decided to help.

Looking at his stance, he really was about to jump!

If he fell to his death, her guilt would be immense.

**[Magic Field]**

*Hummmm.*

A row of diamond-shaped fields extended outward, constructing a bridge across the chasm.

Two bats, unable to dodge in time, slammed into it and fell.

—

Soon enough, Adrian climbed onto Lucoco’s balcony.

“Morning Light!”

His voice carried a hint of excitement.

“Climbing into a girl’s balcony in the middle of the night isn’t very good behavior, Your Highness,” Lucoco chuckled, her tone teasing.

“Then, how about this as an apology?”

Adrian smiled awkwardly and quickly pulled a beautifully wrapped…

Lollipop out of his pocket?

Printed clearly on the wrapper was: [God-Chosen Candy Industry Association. For children under six years old, please consume under parental supervision.]

Feeling playful, Lucoco turned around slowly and tucked her hands behind her back.

She tilted her head slightly, putting on an innocent expression, and blinked her large, watery eyes at him.

“Prince, I’m not even six years old yet!”

The moonlight fell perfectly across the girl’s face, catching Adrian off guard.

This was the first time he had seen Lucoco’s true face without her eye patch, and the first time he had seen her act so “cute.”

“That… well… a Half-Demon’s age… shouldn’t… count that way, right?”

His voice was a bit dry as he stiffly held out the candy.

“…Do you want it?”

“Mhm.”

Lucoco hummed in response.

Her smile vanished, and she instantly returned to her usual self as she calmly took the candy.

Adrian finally let out a breath, his nervousness turning into a strange warmth.

‘She’s starting to joke with me.’

He was secretly happy, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

He watched as Lucoco slowly peeled the wrapper and stuck out the tip of her small tongue to enjoy the candy with tiny, satisfied licks.

“Morning Light…”

Adrian lowered his voice.

“Is the Church… very strict?”

With the candy in her mouth, Lucoco stuffed the wrapper into her pocket and said indistinctly, “Why do you ask?”

“I only saw you this morning, but you’re the most incredible nun I’ve ever met!”

“That’s because… I have an incredible mother. What about you, Your Highness? Why do you always want to run away from the palace?”

Adrian was silent for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice.

“It’s… ‘too cold’ here. I want to see what the world outside is like.”

“Cold?”

Lucoco glanced around at the meticulously crafted, luxurious palace.

“The best rooms, the most abundant resources, and beautiful, elegant noble ladies surrounding you…”

“Heh…”

Adrian lowered his head with a bitter smile.

“Yes, compared to most people, I should indeed be proud of my status.”

“So, you’re tired of fine grains and want to taste coarse bran?”

Lucoco tilted her head meaningfully.

“Otherwise, why would you be so obsessed with following a silly nun?”

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Adrian’s face instantly turned bright red.

“Morning Light! I… I didn’t mean it that way!”

“No way?”

Lucoco feigned surprise.

“Could it be that the Prince hasn’t even held a girl’s hand…”

“Of course I have!”

Adrian barked back like his tail had been stepped on.

But he immediately lost his momentum, his voice growing softer.

“Didn’t you… pull me by my arm earlier…?”

A mischievous smirk played on Lucoco’s lips.

“But this morning, when you were dealing with those sisters from the Church, you seemed quite at ease.”

Adrian scratched his head, a complex expression crossing his face.

He looked up at the girl in front of him, his voice filled with nostalgia.

“Every time… whenever I stood by my sister’s side, it felt like this. Morning Light, the feeling you give me is very much like my sister.”

♡

Please respond to Adrian:

A: Respond gently [Your Highness, your sister must have been a very special person. (Favorability ♥x4)]

B: Playful teasing [Oh? Is Your Highness praising me, or are you secretly missing your sister? (Favorability ♥x3)]

C: Maintain distance [Is that so? Perhaps the similarity you see is only on the surface. (Favorability ♥x2)]

♡

Looking at the options, Lucoco had a new plan.

Raymond’s commission was very long and definitely couldn’t be finished in a short time, so she wasn’t planning on rushing the favorability gain.

“Then your sister must be very beautiful,” Lucoco said as she leaned back against the railing, sounding narcissistically certain.

“Uh… it was other things…”

Adrian said, looking embarrassed.

Lucoco shook her head and reached out to fiddle with a small flower.

“Your Highness, that was just my ‘Morning Light’ disguise. It’s a basic skill for a nun.”

“…You really are very similar.”

The young man looked at her, his eyes shimmering with memories.

**[Notification: Adrian’s Favorability has increased by ♥x6]**

‘Tsk.’

“Fine…”

Lucoco shrugged as if giving in.

“Then let’s put the discussion about life aside for now. Ask me directly, Your Highness — what did you come here to find out?”

“I really just came to see you…”

Adrian’s voice was soft, but sincere.

“Oh?”

Lucoco stopped fiddling with the flower and plucked it.

She bowed with elegant grace and offered the small purple flower to him.

“As a substitute for the Prince’s sister? I’m truly… flattered, Your Highness.”

“Hahaha…”

Adrian took the flower, unable to hide his laughter.

“Thank you, Morning Light…”

“I should warn you first, though.”

Lucoco stood up straight and wagged a finger at him, smiling.

“A sister cannot marry her brother. So, Prince, please don’t get any ideas about me.”

“Will you stay? In the Royal Capital.”

Adrian didn’t answer.

Instead, he threw out another question, his eyes full of nervous anticipation.

“Your uncle dumped two messes on me,” Lucoco said, spreading her hands.

“One is to train a pampered prince into a competent adventurer who can walk on his own. The other…”

She let her gaze drift toward the night outside the city.

“Once you’ve learned enough, I have to take you out to perform miracles. To save the suffering and deliver the masses.”

“Yes!”

Light shone in Adrian’s eyes.

“I will work hard! I definitely won’t let—”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Lucoco interrupted him.

Adrian looked at her, and a brilliant smile suddenly broke across his face.

“See you tomorrow, Morning Light…”

Without giving Lucoco a chance to press him further, a faint breeze swirled around him, and he leapt down from the balcony.

“Wait…”

Lucoco’s hand reached out to nothing.

She could only watch as the prince used **[Light Body Technique]** to easily leap across the “chasm,” land on the opposite balcony, and disappear into the shadows of his room with a wave.

—

“What a player… He’s actually quite good at flirting, isn’t he?”

Lucoco smacked her lips, tasting the lingering sweetness of the candy with a small chuckle.

Without realizing it, she had not only been tricked into giving him information but had also been subtly flirted with.

“If only it were a princess instead…”

Licking her lips, Lucoco whispered to herself without much regret.

She watched the night view of the illuminated city for a while longer until only the bare paper stick of the lollipop remained.

Then, with a lingering yawn, she slowly wandered back into her room.

the stir caused by the Assassin in the Royal Capital no longer concerned her.

Her primary task now was to be Adrian’s “coach.”

As for whether Raymond truly trusted her or had other motives, Lucoco didn’t care to investigate.

As for the quest progress:

**[Main Quest Progress: Act Three — The Prince’s Assistant Nun]**

**Objective: Raise Adrian’s combat strength to 90% of your normal state (excluding Demon King/Saint power buffs).**

**Reward: [Battle Nun Set: C] x2, Level 20 Blue Quality. (Includes: Black Crystal Power Sword, Sacred Glyph Light Armor, Stealth Cloak)**

This was the first time since the quest started that she could see such specific rewards.

‘I have a feeling that wearing these three items will get me noticed by some mysterious entity.’

…

The next day, as the first light of dawn appeared.

Adrian’s private training ground was located at the back of the castle.

It had only one entrance and was surrounded by high walls.

Above, a shimmering semi-transparent array barrier looked quite sturdy.

Lucoco arrived early at the open space, which clearly saw frequent use, and waited.

She wore a set of light, basic adventurer gear that outlined her slender but perfect figure.

Her hair was tied casually behind her head, and a very ordinary wooden training sword was tucked into her waist.

This look added a touch of sharp, heroic spirit to her cute face.

Regarding swordsmanship, she didn’t have much actual combat experience.

Most of it came from the few months during the game’s open beta, which equated to several years in-game.

In terms of pure, traditional swordsmanship, she definitely couldn’t beat Adrian.

However, she had an absolute advantage —

She was “tough”!

And, she had magic to assist her!

Therefore, she was going to teach this prince an unbreakable truth: whatever allows you to win, that is swordsmanship!

She had seen too many royal family members wielding swords in videos.

Most palace swordsmen, when faced with truly ruthless, erratic, and lethal attacks, often ended up being beaten senseless.

The swordsmanship of the royal family was too reasonable.

But only those who survive are worthy of being reasonable!