PAID

As the slow dance began, the atmosphere of the banquet reached its peak.

I felt a flicker of anxiety—what if Ethan suddenly pressed the switch during the dance? Thankfully, he wasn’t that reckless. If he had intended to pull something like that, he wouldn’t have bothered with setting rules in the first place.

...Not that he bothered turning off the two already-active vibrating devices, of course. I’d managed to endure with a combination of growing accustomed to the sensation and repeatedly casting Clean Magic.@@novelbin@@

“Lilith, one more dance?”

“…I’m too drained, both physically and emotionally, thanks to someone. I’m not in the mood.”

“Haha… I’ll grant you one wish later. Come on, just one more?”

“…Two.”

“Alright, two.”

After some back-and-forth, I begrudgingly agreed, and we danced two more songs before stepping off the floor. Meanwhile, the Hero, Gepmazoshegigat, finished his dances with Seraphine and Cerista before leading Silena onto the floor.

She looked both flustered and delighted, clearly questioning why she was last but unable to hide her joy at being asked. He was managing heroine favorability like a professional, spreading attention evenly without showing undue affection to any one of them. A perfect strategy to avoid party conflicts while progressing through the narrative.

‘Still, the effort he’s putting in screams “endgame grind.” I wonder if his playstyle changed since I last checked.’