The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]

Chapter 1013: Uncanny Lecture

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

They had, quite unfortunately, swallowed a very bitter pill.

Because for the self-aware noble ladies, it truly sucked to be able to deduce things just a little too quickly.

If they had only been a bit more naive, then perhaps they could’ve delayed the inevitable truth.

Because clearly, it wasn’t Young Lord Aziel who needed to hear the advice.

It was them.

They were the ones who needed to exude an aura that was just as pleasant.

After a thorough and rather speedy internal evaluation, the conclusion had been immediate and painfully clear.

It was like a group of beasts surrounding small woodland critters.

"..."

"..."

And they had the gall to wonder why they didn’t have partners that wanted to protect them instead of spar with them?

The ladies exchanged glances.

Then sighed.

Then looked at Aziel again.

"Well," one of them began gently, "of course they have appeal. Even you do, Young Lord."

Aziel’s expression sharpened at that.

"Honestly speaking, you are all...cute."

From the side, as if the ladies were mind readers, Ollie bristled at the mention of the word he’d been thinking about.

But before he could really say anything, the lady continued.

"My lord, appeal can be very subjective," she added, her tone soft but firm. "There are many more factors involved, but those are things that Young Lord Aziel should only hear or concern himself with when he’s a bit older."

The blonde froze as he heard words related to more factors.

Meanwhile, Aziel reacted exactly as expected.

"What do you mean, older?!" he protested, clearly annoyed. "I’m already old enough to understand!"

The ladies didn’t waver.

Their expressions softened, but their stance remained firm.

"In a few years, Young Lord," one of them said with a small, reassuring smile, "you may come to us again, and we will definitely tell you everything we know."

"For now," another added, nodding along with the others, "you should focus on growing well."

"Because it would be much harder to learn allure and the art of seduction if the base canvas is no good."

They meant it kindly.

They truly did.

They even nodded at one another, as if confirming that this was sound advice.

But before Aziel could push further—

"Excuse me, my lady."

Luca raised his hand.

The interruption was polite, almost hesitant, and yet it drew everyone’s attention.

"This seduction and allure...what exactly do you mean by them?"

Looking at the face of DG’s leader, it was definitely an innocent question.

A very sincere one.

But precisely because of how he looked at them, such a gaze made it even harder to answer.

The ladies stilled, but eventually their eyes shifted slowly toward Aziel.

The meaning was obvious.

They couldn’t possibly explain something like that in front of a teen.

Luca followed their gaze.

"Oh."

Understanding dawned quickly.

"I’m sorry," he said at once, turning toward Aziel with a small but respectful bow.

Then out of nowhere, a faint ripple of spiritual energy spread outward to form a barrier.

It settled around Aziel in an instant, isolating him just enough that their voices would no longer reach him.

"...!"

The ladies stared.

Aziel stared.

They were all stunned.

Because how could that look far too easy when they themselves were aware just how difficult it was to keep even the smallest spiritual barriers.

For Aziel, it was even more shocking.

The difference between himself and the two standing before him were suddenly made obvious by what looked like a simple and mindless gesture.

It sent a chill down his spine, goosebumps rising as he realized just how terrifying they actually were despite their appearance.

Meanwhile, Luca straightened and turned back to the ladies, his expression returning to that same polite curiosity.

"Can we talk about seduction and allure now?" he asked.

It felt like the ladies had been blinking far more today than any other day, but it just couldn’t be helped. They were just too bewildered by everything.

They once again glanced at one another with wordless questions.

Because...why?

Why would they need to learn about allure and seduction when they already seemed to have it?

Still, one of them cleared her throat.

"What would you like to know, Lord Kyros?"

Luca didn’t hesitate.

"Everything you can tell us, please," he said sincerely. "We would really appreciate that."

And just like that, D-29 was practically on standby, ready to note down everything.

The ladies hesitated for a moment.

They needed to be careful.

They weren’t entirely sure how much they could say without overstepping.

But eventually, they began.

"Well," one of them said, choosing her words carefully, "everything we’ve been talking about are things that differentiate a friendship from a romantic relationship."

Luca and Ollie both widened their eyes.

Clearly interested.

Very interested.

The ladies noticed immediately.

For a brief moment, they couldn’t help but liken themselves to a group of mother birds observing overly attentive babies.

They cleared their throats and continued.

"Friends love each other too," one explained. "That’s why a strong friendship is often a good foundation for a romantic relationship. Friends not only care for each other, but they also enjoy being around one another."

"So then what could be keeping every single friendship from turning into something more?"

"That would normally be the lack of a compelling feeling or a strong pull to breach a line that friends wouldn’t normally cross."

"It’s the need to keep on having more. And once one determines that it isn’t simply more with anyone but more with someone very specific, then they’d finally realize they want out of the friendzone."

"Some people like to call it a spark," one said, her voice lowering slightly.

"A start that would eventually result in the most absurd things. Like when you look at someone who appeals to you and has a spark with, you feel this urge to...malfunction a little."

"To act outside your comfort zone," another added, already growing flustered. "Or to do things you normally wouldn’t just because."

"It sounds like crazy talk, but that’s what generally happens at the beginning."

"Moreover, even if you end up with memories that can be embarrassing, it would be difficult to deny just how exciting it could be."

They coughed lightly into their hands, clearly aware that they might be getting carried away.

Mostly because the two lords were listening far too intently to their nonsensical ramblings that would have long since been ignored by other men.

Finally, one of them straightened and added more firmly,

"But because you can’t rely on appeal and spark alone, it’s important to actively put in effort to maintain a healthy relationship."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Even the most passionate relationships can fail if they’re not cared for properly."

Luca stilled.

Ollie stilled.

Fade?

Passionate relationships could...fade?

Ollie, in particular, looked like he had just been struck by a volley of invisible arrows as he tried to recall everything he had ever done.

Had he done something close to maintenance before?

Or had it been all up to his ever so responsible boyfriend?