MISS PAINTER, YOUR ART HAS COME ALIVE!-Chapter 17 : Chapter 17 - The young lady's commandments are very charming

“Quite impressive, huh?”
“I know Remi, she's from the Michael family, a branch of the noble house of Count Michael. But... who exactly is the woman fighting against her?”
“I heard she's from Team Four? Both physical and written test scores were dead last...”
“Dead last? And yet she's fighting Remi so evenly? Just how terrifying is Team Four's overall strength?”
“Other matches were like that too, weren't they? About the same level as us.”
The watching students couldn't help whispering among themselves, their voices filled with shock and disbelief.
At first, they could have understood it if Remi hadn't won immediately, maybe she was just giving her comrade some face, letting her land a few hits.
But... now most of the other matches were already over, and the next round was about to begin, yet her match still hadn't ended?
This was absurd.
Could it be... that Kaelis had been hiding something all along?
And within the crowd, a few faces had grown unusually serious.
“This isn't right... Didn't Remi take the money? Why hasn't she finished it yet? Is Kaelis really that tough to beat?”
“...Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Remi herself said she was sent alone at seven years old to hunt a wasteland bear. There's no way she'd lose to this village girl...”
“Then what's she doing? Taking money but not doing the job? Are there even mercenaries like that?!”
“Unlikely... Mercenaries care about reputation, especially since her family has turned it into a business... Ah, I get it, she's doing it on purpose!”
“On purpose?”
“Making the match look close, so later when she delivers the finishing blow to the village girl, she can claim she just lost control...”
“I see... Truly professional.”
A few noble girls nodded, suddenly regaining their confidence.
Compared to the students speculating in the audience, the expressions on the viewing platform were far more complicated.
The most conflicted of all was Rod.
His bet with his friends had been nothing but a joke, but now, it actually seemed like it might come true?
He turned to look at the others.
At this moment, his old companions were all staring at him with expressions of utter disbelief.
They didn't know Rod had been joking, they only knew that Rod had bet in favour of Kaelis... Could this old guy have known all along that Kaelis had something up her sleeve?
You sly browed bastard, hiding all your tricks on us, huh?!
“I really didn't know,” Rod said with a bitter smile. “Maybe... we should switch our bet now?”
“Shut up!” someone snaps, glaring. “I'm still betting on Remi! There's no way she can lose!”
“As you wish.”
Seeing the other's persistence, Rod sighed three times bitterly, then turned back to the arena.
Although he now had his suspicions, he still couldn't help but feel a faint flicker of hope...
Could Kaelis actually win?
...
“You really are a bit stronger than I expected... I sensed something vague earlier, but only after actual combat do I know for sure.”
Resetting her stance, Remi said with a fully serious expression.
Although she had been serious before, she had still been slightly underestimating her opponent. But after this exchange, she realized Kaelis was absolutely no simple opponent!
She couldn't afford to slack off now.
“...”
Kaelis rolled her eyes at the declaration, then after a moment, quickly calmed her mind.
Remi was indeed strong... but not overwhelmingly so.
If one had to describe it, they were like stone and iron, both hard, with iron being stronger, yet stone still had a chance to win.
But...
She'd have to resort to some dirty tricks.
Kaelis's eyes flickered mischievously as a devious idea formed.
As Remi stayed on guard, Kaelis suddenly reached out, not to attack, but to pull off her own veil!
That face, devilishly alluring yet carrying an air of purity, was exposed for the first time, truly and secretly revealed by Kaelis herself!
In an instant, the entire arena fell deathly silent...
At this moment, Kaelis became the sole focus of attention!
“Shit—!”
What the hell?!
This Kaelis...
Everyone's eyes widened, glued to her, their hands instinctively clenching.
Especially Remi, standing closest, she stared at the girl before her, her composed expression suddenly freezing, her pupils shrinking in shock, her face twisting into a complex mix of emotions.
Although she'd caught a glimpse during their fight earlier, seeing Kaelis openly reveal herself like this made her heart involuntarily tremble...
A face of this caliber... couldn't possibly be just about beauty.
The ability to draw eyes, to stir emotions, this went far beyond mere prettiness!
There must be a secret within Kaelis!
But in that split second of distraction, Kaelis suddenly lunged forward!
Remi's muscles tensed in reflexive defense, but Kaelis suddenly spun around.
What was she doing?
‘From this angle, she couldn't swing her sword, nor could she push me off the stage?’
Remi's mind snapped alert, but faster still, that mischievous little face leaning in.
Just thinking about what she was about to do made her want to laugh...
Crimson lips, like a lover's gentle caress, suddenly brushed against Remi's ear.
Then... a soft, sultry, bone-melting whisper, restrained yet seductive, coiled into her ear.
“Little Remi~”
“?!!”
Almost instantly, Kaelis could see Remi's entire body stiffen, her skin turning blood-red in the blink of an eye.
She practically scrambled backward in panic, rolling away.
Crouched on the ground, her body trembled uncontrollably.
She covered the ear Kaelis had just whispered into, her fiery eyes glistening with a faint, shy shimmer.
“You... you... you...”
She pointed at Kaelis, her body shaking violently.
That single call nearly shattered her composure!
Her heart now itched unbearably!
She hadn't expected Kaelis to resort to such a tactic.
‘Do you think seduction can defeat me?!’
‘Yes... I fell for it.’
Seeing Remi react so strongly, even Kaelis, though somewhat prepared, couldn't help but freeze in surprise.
She wasn't sure if it was a side effect of her reincarnation, but Kaelis realized she possessed a certain charm, like maxing out charisma in a tabletop game. Anyone who saw her seemed drawn to her.
But she hadn't expected Remi's reaction to be this extreme.
Was it related to Kaelis calling her “mom” earlier?
Kaelis felt a bit dazed, but quickly took her stance.
Seeing Remi's conflicted expression, her own mischievous nature flared, and she suddenly grinned.
“The rules never said it was forbidden...”
“...True. But I won't fall for that trick twice!”
Remi gritted her teeth, suppressing her wildly pounding heart, forcing herself to regulate her breathing.
A skilled mercenary doesn't get beaten by the same move twice!
But at that moment, Kaelis darted forward again.
Her alluring face suddenly closed in, black hair sliding like countless tendrils across Remi's skin.
She pressed close, her captivating face inches away, crimson lips lightly biting.
Silent, yet brimming with meaning.
Delicate lashes brushed against Remi's eyes, the two sets of lashes lightly tangling together.
“?!!”
Clearly, Remi wasn't as unaffected as she stated. This sudden close-up, though silent, was even more seductive than the previous whisper.
Her body became stiff again, and Kaelis seized the moment, suddenly pushing back with her hand!
Disarm!
Unlike Kaelis volunteering her weapon, this time she had taken Remi's weapon from her!
Although Remi instantly reacted, instinctively hiding her other dagger behind her back so Kaelis couldn't take it, Kaelis had already achieved her goal.
Without warning, she suddenly embraced Remi.
Her shapely body tightly pressed against hers, softness instantly shattering Remi's mental defenses.
Trained in combat since childhood, no pain could break her composure, but... the pleasure of softness was different.
The moment Kaelis hugged her, she lost focus.
Her body involuntarily tilted backward, and Kaelis, like a kitten, climbed onto her chest, then slowly sat up.
Holding Remi's dagger, she pressed it gently against Remi's chest, gazing down into her dazed eyes.
“I win~”
She smiled, her face flushed, breath slightly labored as if she had just been tired…
Her long legs lightly wrapped around Remi's waist...
Her weight, cushioned by soft flesh, settled on the girl's abdomen.
Although appearing tired, she looked even more alluring.
“Ugh!”