Three hours later.
"I'm home!"
"Oh, welcome back ...?"
Charlotte greeted Allen who was holding large packages in his hands in a confused and disoriented manner.
After making that puzzling statement, Allen flew out of the house and headed to the town to buy a couple of things.
The sky had turned completely dark, and the glowing crescent moon seemed to emerge pleasantly in the sky.
Allen placed all of the packages on the table in the living room.
There were four big boxes and three cloth bags. Charlotte's head tilted more and more as she looked at the packages in front of her.
"Wow, that's a lot of shopping you've done... but didn't you say you don't have much money left?"
"Oh, that's why I've sold the magic tools I had on hand. I've earned fifty gold coins."
"Gosh...!?"
Charlotte was speechless.
For the average person living alone, that amount was enough to support them for about three months.
Magical tools were items injected with special magic in them. For instance, a fire that did not go out even if it rained, or a want that can call forth a ball of flame with just a swing of it.
Taking into account the range of magical tools from superior to inferior grades, to be able to sell them for fifty gold coins, they must have contained powerful high-level magic in it.
"Why, why do you need so much money?"
"Is it as much as you mentioned? You're a daughter of the duke yet your sense of money is very much like that of a commoner."
"When I was little, I lived with my mother in the countryside... but that's not what I mean!"
Charlotte shook her head and choked out her words in a quivering voice.
"I'm sure it must have been very valuable for a magical tool to be worth that much... why did you sell it?"
"That's because I need a large sum of money. Besides, there are other magical tools available, and I know how to make more."
Unlike magic potions, the assessment of magical tools was rather tedious. That was why Allen rarely converted them into gold.
However, this time was special.
"All right, Charlotte. Sit here"
"Eh?... yes."
Charlotte nervously sat down on the chair that Allen pulled.
Allen nodded in satisfaction. But she looked puzzled.
"Charlotte, I told you earlier that I would teach you all the pleasures of the world."
"Yes, you said that..."
"Delight, enjoyment. But the kind of pleasure that I mentioned..."
Allen scooped Charlotte's chin gently and chuckled.
"It's an unethical type of pleasure."
"Unethical...what?"
"That's right. It's fun to be naughty. It's addictive."
Charlotte's eyes darted back and forth restlessly as if she had no idea what Allen was talking about.
"You are an honest and serious person, which is rare these days. You've never rebelled against the duke before, have you?"
"I can't... rebel against them since they're the ones who brought me in."
Charlotte looked downcast as she murmured in a soft voice.
The way she sounded was more of fear of a master than a family member.
The fact was, she had never said anything bad about the duke or his family.
Despite being betrayed so cruelly. It was likely that her sense of indebtedness outweighed her resentment.
That mindset, in Allen's opinion, wasn't healthy.
"From here on, I'm going to teach you all the things you shouldn't do. You will drown in pleasure and become a beast that reacts according to its instincts."
"That's somewhat scary, Allen..."
Charlotte had a slightly panicked look, but she courageously stared at Allen.
"Well, you mustn't do bad things!"
"Rest assured. It doesn't violate the law nor will it bother others."
"Truly...?
"Yes, truly. Yes, we will keep it a secret from everyone."
Even the virtuous wives, strict teachers, and honorable priests. They all did it secretly behind the scenes and were captivated by the pleasures of it.
When he told her this, Charlotte cleared her throat with a gulp.
"This thing that you are not supposed to do... what exactly is it?"
"You want to know, don't you? ... All right then!"
Allen let go of Charlotte's hand and slowly untied the ribbon on the box.
It felt so forbidden, it was as if he was taking off a woman's clothes.
"Now, burn it into your memory. The mischief for this round is..."
Finally, the box was opened.
What was in there was--
"... a cake?"
"That's right!"
Allen nodded vigorously.