Chapter 90: Who Could Possibly Recognize Her?
If you were to ask Noah whether he could distinguish between Morgan and Artoria if they stood side by side, the answer would undoubtedly be yes.
Although Morgan and Artoria looked remarkably similar, there were subtle differences in their details. Thus, someone like Noah, who was familiar with both of them, could easily tell them apart.
But...
Morgan deliberately avoided using large-scale Magecraft and instead used an Alchemy potion to temporarily dye her hair the exact same color as Artoria's. She then employed simple disguise techniques, typically used by assassins, to alter some facial details. Only the stubborn strand of hair on her head and her physique were slightly adjusted using Magecraft tools—just a little...
Under such circumstances, not even Noah could tell them apart. Even if King Uther were brought back to life, he wouldn't be able to recognize which one was Morgan!
So.
That evening, after Noah habitually closed the door, he noticed 'Artoria' sitting to the side, looking somewhat unnatural. He walked over and sat down beside her.
"What's wrong?"
After becoming king, Noah had been sleeping with Artoria almost every night.
Although nothing significant had happened under such circumstances, the relationship between him and Artoria had been steadily deepening.
Noah had gradually grown accustomed to having Artoria by his side.
And Artoria had also become used to the feeling of being held by Noah as she slept.
A scene like today's hadn't occurred in Noah's memory for nearly two months, so when he saw 'Artoria' like this, his first reaction was—Artoria must have something on her mind.
"N-No, it's nothing…"
Morgan, watching Noah sit so close to her, had to struggle to control her expression to keep from blushing.
—Noah and Artoria were usually this intimate!?
The very thought made Morgan even more nervous.
Although she often spoke confidently about such matters in front of Artoria, Morgan's understanding of these things actually came from miscellaneous books and her own imagination.
If you actually put her in such a situation...
Hah, all that theoretical knowledge not only failed to help but made Morgan more prone to wild fantasies than the average person!
But this only applied to Noah.
If not for matters involving Noah and Artoria, Morgan gave others the impression of a very aloof Witch, extremely difficult to approach.
Only Noah and Artoria could get close to Morgan and make her act this way.
Very few people ever received Morgan's genuine care.
So, when her adorably naive younger sister earnestly pleaded with her, Morgan—who had hardly experienced familial affection since birth—found herself completely unable to refuse and agreed without hesitation.
That was why she was sitting here now.
As for Artoria…
Morgan was afraid that using a crystal ball to transmit images might attract Noah's attention, so she only transmitted the audio from her side to the conch she had given Artoria.
Artoria was currently listening to the commotion over here!
At this thought, Morgan recalled the earnest and studious expression Artoria had when she was being taught.
Hah...
Whether for the sake of her authority as the elder sister or for her younger sister... she absolutely must not retreat here!
With this mindset, coupled with the fact that Morgan didn't dislike Noah—in fact, her feelings toward him were somewhat complicated—she suppressed the urge to flee. Instead, she leaned closer to Noah, even wrapping her arms around his waist.
Feeling the warmth radiating from Noah, no matter how hard Morgan tried to control herself, her face still flushed red.
...
Her head felt hot, and she leaned against Noah's body as if all the knowledge she had read in books had evaporated with the rising temperature. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, simply gazing at Noah with a somewhat evasive look.
Noah didn't know this was Morgan.
He thought it was Artoria.
And his relationship with Artoria had actually progressed quite well during this time.
At first, he only held Artoria, but after the incident with Guinevere, even if he accidentally touched something, Artoria would only blush and not resist.
However, Artoria wasn't proactive either. Although Noah wanted to take things further, considering that despite having simulated memories, they had only known each other for about two months in reality, he wasn't in a hurry.
But seeing Artoria like this now...
I wasn't in a hurry, but she's taking the initiative instead.
Right.
After a brief thought, Noah naturally assumed Morgan's current behavior was Artoria taking the initiative.
After all, if that weren't the case, why would Artoria be so nervous, suddenly blush, lean toward him, and look at him with such an expression...
The more Noah thought about it, the more convinced he became.
Then...
—Since Artoria had taken the initiative, he, who had already wanted to take things further, naturally wouldn't hesitate.
So he embraced "Artoria" and lay back.
...
Morgan was stunned by Noah's actions.
But she didn't resist him.
Moreover, in this situation, she felt her rationality fading away with the increasing warmth, so her so-called resistance seemed exceptionally feeble.
Like the playful tension of a nervous maiden.
However.
Although Morgan didn't resist Noah, she mustered her last shred of rationality and pressed the conch shell she had placed by the bedside earlier, turning it off!
Then, Artoria, who had been eavesdropping with the conch shell in Morgan's room, heard some unusual noises from the other end before it suddenly went silent!
Huh?
Artoria stared at the now-silent conch shell, the tuft of hair on her head almost forming a question mark.
Could she have been discovered by the King?
Artoria thought cautiously, but although she wanted to go check, the thought of it possibly just being a seashell malfunction made her hesitate. If her elder sister Morgan were discovered, it would be terribly awkward. After wavering for a long time, she ultimately gave up on the idea of investigating and simply lay down, deciding to wait until morning to ask Morgan about what happened later.
Just as Noah had grown accustomed to Artoria.
For two months now, Artoria had been sleeping alone. Strangely, she found Morgan's room—slightly smaller than Noah's bedchamber—unexpectedly filled with a silent chill.
Yet Artoria still forced her eyes shut, and soon, in this entirely different environment from the other side, she fell asleep.
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