I’m a Bit Nervous

Irina's face instantly flushed red, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

Was it really appropriate to ask someone else for help with this? No, she and Filine were both girls—there was nothing wrong with getting assistance from her. She shouldn't overthink it; it was just help, nothing more.

With somewhat stiff steps, Irina walked forward and reached out, her fingers fumbling slightly as she unfastened the button on Filine's back.

"Did Your Highness need something from me?"

As Filine spoke, she casually set her safety shield aside and slipped into a loose, wine-red nightgown. The flowing fabric traced the curves of her well-proportioned body.

Since Filine hadn't turned around, Irina didn't see anything she shouldn't.

"Tonight, I want to sleep with you." Irina pursed her lips and stated her intention.

"Why?" Filine turned around, looking at her with curiosity.

Irina had already prepared her excuse and replied without hesitation, "I'll soon have to attend various events in the Kingdom of Night, and I'm a little nervous. After all, I'll be meeting many unfamiliar people…"

Although it was an excuse, Irina wasn't lying. She truly felt anxious about the upcoming occasions, and her tone carried genuine emotion.

Looking at Irina's slightly worried face, Filine sighed softly. "Alright, let's sleep together then."

Under Filine's assistance, Irina changed into a white lace nightgown. The process made her feel incredibly shy, her face remaining flushed the entire time.

Once the lights were turned off, the room plunged into darkness. Both Irina and Filine lay on the bed.

Irina turned her head slightly, moving a bit closer. Inhaling Filine's faint milky scent, she instinctively reached out, wrapping her arms and legs around Filine, feeling the softness and grace of her body.

"Your Highness?"

"Hm?"

"…Nothing."

Filine wasn't particularly accustomed to Irina's embrace, but thinking about the princess's fate, a sense of pity arose within her. She became more tolerant and didn't mind Irina's actions.

"You have embraced a female for one minute. Experience +20."

A minute later, the notification arrived as expected.

'During the day, Filine hugged me, and at night, I'm hugging her. Both earned experience. It seems like any kind of embrace works.'

Irina was secretly delighted. If she could keep this up all night, wouldn't she be able to gain an overwhelming amount of experience?

But then, she noticed Filine had already fallen asleep. However, Irina, feeling excited, was wide awake, eagerly waiting for the next notification.

'A minute should be up by now. Where's the notification?'

'It's been two minutes already, hasn't it?'

After waiting for a while, Irina realized something was off. Could it be that hugging only grants experience once per day? No, yesterday she received it twice, so there was no reason for a limit today.

'Could it be that if the target is asleep, it doesn't count?'

At this thought, Irina's expression immediately fell.

She then tried holding Filine's hand, waiting for a few minutes, but as expected, no notification appeared.

'Just as I thought. To gain experience, the target must be awake. My plan is ruined…'

With that regret weighing on her, Irina's excitement dissipated. Her eyelids grew heavy, and before long, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

September 18

"Your Highness, it's time to get up. Staying in bed past eight is highly inappropriate."

Irina felt someone shaking her and groggily muttered, "Just five more minutes…"

Filine, exasperated, pulled her up by force. As she did, her gaze landed on Irina's shoulders—her nightgown's straps had slipped off, revealing her fair, delicate skin.

"You have slept beside a female for one night. Experience +100."

Irina had been half-asleep, still feeling sluggish, but upon hearing the notification in her mind, her eyes snapped open. Her purple irises gleamed with excitement.

"Your Highness, go wash up. I'll prepare your breakfast."

Seeing Irina fully awake, Filine got out of bed and left the room, already dressed in her maid outfit.

Irina, however, was too caught up in her thoughts to respond. She quickly summoned her Extraordinary Panel and found that her remaining experience had indeed reached 170 points.

That realization thrilled her—who would have thought that simply sleeping next to Filine could bring such benefits? It seemed like from now on, she wouldn't let Filine off the hook any night!

'As an Apprentice, I have three abilities to choose from. Which one should I learn first?'

After some contemplation, Irina didn't overthink it. Among the three options—Ignition, Sprint, and Speed Reading—she decisively chose Sprint.

Survival is the most important thing.

As 100 experience points were deducted, Irina suddenly grasped the method to use her new ability.

"Whoosh!"

With a sudden burst of speed, she leaped off the bed and dashed out of the room at an astonishing pace—something she could have never done before. Unfortunately, she immediately crashed into the hallway wall.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch…"

Holding her now red and sore nose, Irina quickly realized that even after acquiring a new ability, she needed time to get used to it. She couldn't expect to master it immediately.

Adjusting her control, she practiced running back and forth in the hallway a dozen times, finally getting a decent grasp of Sprint.

"Your Highness, have you finished washing up? Your fried eggs and milk are ready."

Filine's voice drifted up from downstairs.

"Give me a moment!"

Hearing her, Irina hurried to wash up before heading down to the dining room with a light step. On the table, a steaming cup of milk and two fragrant fried eggs awaited her.

"Filine…"

"Your Highness, no talking during meals. That's proper etiquette."

"I know, but that's the etiquette of the Bright Moon Kingdom. The Kingdom of Night doesn't have such rules, does it? We should follow local customs, right?"

"…Very well."

Filine stood behind Irina. Only after her mistress finished eating would she have her own meal—this was a universal rule across nations.

Irina took a sip of milk, her lips coated with a faint white residue, as she pondered how to bring up the topic she had in mind.

She wanted to learn more about the Extraordinary, but many things were inappropriate to ask, as the original "her" should already know them. Finding the right way to ask was a challenge.

"Filine, I never feel completely safe in the Kingdom of Night. If only you were an Extraordinary…" Irina finally found a way to broach the subject.

"That can't be helped. Extraordinary individuals are extremely rare, and each one is invaluable. Besides, the Kingdom of Night provides us with sufficient protection—there are warriors secretly guarding us whenever we go out."

Filine spoke calmly, but she didn't reveal everything she knew.