After Nefthis accepted Knox's lollipop, she glanced up at him and said,
"By the way, Knox… can you wake her up first?"
Knox immediately understood.
He knew exactly who Nefthis was referring to—and more importantly, he could tell she wanted a moment alone with Simon.
"Alright," Knox replied lightly. "Let's just hope she wakes up easily~"
Nefthis giggled, clearly amused.
"Haha, what are you talking about? I bet even if you call her name softly, she'll wake up right away!"
Knox chuckled.
The next moment—
he vanished.
Just like that, he left Simon alone with Nefthis.
Seeing this, Simon quickly realized that this wasn't just a casual chat.
She had something to discuss with him.
Nefthis walked a few steps ahead, her expression playful as ever—until she suddenly stopped.
Then she turned around and stared straight into Simon's eyes.
Simon halted as well, quietly waiting.
"Hmm…"
A crooked smirk formed on her lips.
"So… you've finally got your Legion, Simon."
"…!!"
Simon's heart sank.
"Soo, how is Pier doing?" Nefthis asked casually.
Simon stiffened slightly before answering.
"Eh… uhh… he's doing fine… I think."
Nefthis let out a soft chuckle.
"Let me guess~ When he found out you're Richard's son, he must've been laughing like crazy… but when he realized you're not just his son, but also Anna's…"
Her smile sharpened just a little.
"…he probably made quite a scene, didn't he~?"
Simon let out an awkward laugh. Because she was completely right.
Nefthis's expression softened again, returning to that innocent, childlike smile.
Then, as if nothing had happened—she reached out and took his hand again.
"This isn't the best place to talk. Let's move somewhere else."
"Huh?"
Still holding his hand, Nefthis suddenly leapt into the air.
In an instant, Simon felt his body lift off the ground. The sensation was strange, like being pulled across space itself.
When he opened his eyes, everything had changed.
Where… is this?
It was someone's room.
Cream and pink wallpaper covered the walls. Frilly curtains framed the windows, and shelves were filled with cute stuffed animals and small decorative trinkets. A soft, pleasant fragrance lingered in the air.
Simon blinked.
No way…
He slowly turned toward the girl who matched the room perfectly.
"Lady Nefthis… is this your taste?"
"This isn't my room."
"…Huh?"
Just then, a soft rustling sound came from behind.
Simon flinched and turned around—
And froze.
Knox was there.
And beside him stood a familiar girl.
Red eyes. Long black hair, still slightly damp, falling loosely over her shoulders.
"L-Lorain?!"
Simon's face immediately turned red.
Lorain was dressed casually, clearly having just woken up, dressed comfortably in house shorts, with only her bra for a top.
And yet—
even with Knox standing right beside her, she showed no reaction at all.
If anything, she looked completely used to it.
She adjusted her posture slightly, then glanced toward Nefthis with an expressionless face.
Knox let out a small chuckle and handed her a few pieces of clothing.
"Lorain, here. I found these in Rochester. A pink jacket, pink hoodie, pink T-shirt, and a pink sweater. Pick one and put it on, alright?"
The moment she heard his tone, her expression changed.
The usually aloof Lorain immediately broke into a bright smile. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the clothes.
"Wow! Thank you so much, Knox! You're the best! Not like a certain someone who doesn't even buy her daughter clothes in her favorite color…"
She shot a glance at Nefthis.
"…Mom."
"Yup!"
"Bringing a boy into my room through teleportation… you're just trying to mess with me, right?"
"What are you talking about? Knox is here too. Don't tell me you don't even count him as a boy~?" Nefthis teased.
Lorain's eye twitched slightly.
Not counting Knox as a boy…? In my eyes, he's the only one!, she thought.
"What are you talking about?! Knox is different. He's special. Besides, we've lived together for years. Seeing me like this isn't anything new, right, Knox?"
Knox just shook his head with a helpless smile.
"Alright, alright. But Simon's here. Go change first, okay?"
He gently tapped her nose.
Lorain blushed faintly.
"…Alright."
She turned—then suddenly stopped and looked at Simon.
Stared at him.
"…What?"
"Were you planning to stay and watch?"
Simon's brain froze.
Then he immediately bolted out of the room.
A second later—
Wait.
Knox is still inside…?
…
After a short while—
"Done. You can come in."
Simon cautiously stepped back into the room.
Lorain was now sitting at the edge of her bed, leaning slightly against Knox's shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Simon's eye twitched.
Alright, alright… so you're showing off your relationship again in front of me? Am I part of your play?
He let out a quiet sigh.
Then Lorain spoke.
"Alright, let's start. Putting aside why you brought him into my bedroom—and considering you also brought Knox here—I'll forgive you, wholeheartedly."
Lorain said it with her usual aloof expression.
Yet, she was still leaning against Knox's shoulder, making that cold demeanor feel oddly contradictory.
Nefthis placed her hands on her hips and declared proudly,
"I had something to say to the three of you at once, that's why I brought him here!"
"Haaaah…" Lorain let out a deep sigh. Her red eyes gleamed coldly.
Even so, with the way she leaned against Knox, she looked more like a proud kitten than anything intimidating.
"You're always like this, Mom."
"Hmph, and you!"
Nefthis began hopping in annoyance.
"You overslept during exam season again, didn't you? Knox and Simon even gathered the group themselves and arranged a study session!"
"I'll handle it on my own. Besides, my scores are still good, right? And… I still have Knox."
Lorain said it with a sweet smile, looking up at him.
Seeing that, Nefthis let out a long sigh.
"Sigh… Knox, you spoil Lorain too much! Look at her! She's practically forgotten her own mother!"
Watching the exchange between mother and daughter, Knox could only smile sheepishly.
One was a mother who acted like a child.
The other was a daughter who wasn't much different… at least for now.
Then Knox reached into his subspace and pulled out a few chocolate bars, smiling lightly.
"Hehe, alright, you two. How about eating these first~"
The moment they saw the chocolate, both Nefthis and Lorain's eyes lit up.
"Sure!"
They answered in perfect unison.
For a moment, they really did look like a proper mother and daughter.
Then, as the two of them happily munched on the chocolate, Knox glanced at Nefthis and spoke,
"Now… can we start talking?"
"Alright, Simon. About the report you gave me."
Nefthis plopped down on a nearby chair and spoke.
"Report?"
"Yeah! About the spy who infiltrated Kizen."
Nefthis already knew about this matter from Knox and Lorain.
Simon waited, tense, for what she would say next.
"First, I've already requested an investigation from some trusted aides. We're starting to uncover a few clues," said Nefthis.
"Ah, that's a relief."
"But the reason I came to you is to warn you about the danger."
Nefthis continued in a serious tone.
"It seems like the traitor knows your identity."
Simon felt like his heart dropped to the floor. Nefthis slowly continued.
"Remember the last Cyclops evaluation? The reason the Cyclops your group faced was abnormally strong wasn't due to side effects from capture drugs or curses. Someone deliberately tampered with it."
"…!"
Nefthis smiled faintly.
"You can guess the motive without me saying it, right?"
…To stage an accidental death.
Simon swallowed hard.
"But somehow, this spy also included Knox as their target as well… how should I say it? Are they too greedy?" said Nefthis with a smile.
But Simon felt that smile wasn't normal.
There was something behind it—
something cold.
Something dangerous.
Then Lorain suddenly spoke.
"Heh. No matter who they are… how dare they target Knox… just you wait."
A faint killing intent leaked from her voice.
Caught between Nefthis and Lorain, Simon felt completely frozen.
From Knox's perspective, this was honestly quite a "luxurious" situation.
Being pressured by both mother and daughter at once…
Isn't this basically that legendary 'oyakodon'?
…Though this version could definitely kill someone.
"Simon."
After calming herself, Lorain spoke again.
"You said you met that person in the Restricted Forest/Forbidden Forest, so it's much more likely that the spy is within the school rather than at Kizen's headquarters. If you stay here, you could be continuously exposed to life-threatening danger."
"Yeah, that's about right."
Nefthis folded her arms and smiled with her eyes.
"Our Lorain's been really worried about you!"
"Mom!! What are you talking about?!" said Lorain.
Mom! I really am worried about Simon, but don't say it like that! What if Knox misunderstands?! Do you really want to lose a perfect son-in-law?! she screamed internally.
"Anyway, are you really not going to accept protection from Kizen?" Lorain added, quickly changing the subject.
"..."
Simon pressed his lips tightly together.
"Simon, if you're worried about being expelled from Kizen, how about marking it as a leave of absence, like Kajann? You can return to your hometown until this case is resolved, then come back next year," said Knox.
"…I truly appreciate your concern, but my decision hasn't changed."
Simon slowly raised his head.
"The life I'm living now is worth protecting, even at the risk of danger. Please let me stay at the school. I'm also working on finding clues on my own, so I'll be helpful," said Simon.
Lorain showed a conflicted expression, while Nefthis nodded calmly.
Knox also nodded, as if not surprised at all.
"I figured you'd say that. You are Richard's son, after all," said Nefthis.
She pulled a silver necklace from her subspace. As Simon looked on curiously, she gestured for him to lower himself.
Simon quickly went down on one knee, and Nefthis stood on tiptoe to place the necklace around his neck herself.
Looking at the artifact, Knox narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Hooo~" He recognized it.
In the original story, this was no ordinary artifact. It was something absurdly powerful—almost godlike.
Hearing Knox's reaction, Nefthis looked genuinely surprised. "Knox… you know this?"
Lorain immediately cut in.
"Knox, you want this? Alright, don't worry. Leave it to me," she said, like a domineering CEO.
Then she turned to Nefthis.
"Mom, Knox wants it, so give it to me."
Seeing her lovestruck daughter, Nefthis's forehead twitched.
"You brat! Do you think this is something you can just ask for like that? You two… how should I say it… you and Knox really dote on each other too much…"
Hearing the refusal, Lorain looked slightly annoyed.
But when she saw Knox didn't seem to care that much, her mood quickly recovered.
Then, hearing Nefthis's comment—
Lorain lifted her chin with a smug expression.
"Hmph. Of course we do."
Knox joined in with a relaxed smile.
"Haha, Nefthis, isn't that already a fact~?"
Nefthis twitched slightly, then let out a tired sigh.
She turned back to Simon and handed him the artifact.
"What is this?" Simon asked.
"An artifact," Nefthis replied.
"With all the unrest stirring across the continent lately, I can't devote all my attention to just you. So take this. The power within this necklace will protect you."
Simon stared at the faint glow radiating from the necklace and swallowed hard.
It wasn't hard to tell this was far more valuable than anything he currently owned.
Especially after seeing Knox's reaction.
"If this artifact ever signals danger, you must stop whatever you're doing and immediately leave the area. Understand?" said Nefthis.
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."
"And also—"
Nefthis turned her head toward Lorain and Knox.
"Both of you, keep an eye on our Simon too."
"…I know, Mom," Lorain replied curtly.
"Don't worry, Nefthis. You can just throw a skeleton bone to Simon. That's enough to rein him in," said Knox.
Simon frowned.
"Why are you treating me like a dog?"