Chapter 24: Ledgers and Warnings
The grand library was breathtaking.
Leon followed Beatrice down the central aisle of towering wooden bookshelves while actively admiring the elegant sway of her hips beneath her strict black skirt. The Head Maid was walking significantly faster than usual in a highly transparent attempt to put some distance between them after their scandalous interaction in the parlor.
"The patriarchal ledger is a highly sensitive document containing the logistical trade routes and magical ore shipments for House Sterling," Beatrice explained briskly while refusing to look over her shoulder.
"Lord Sterling requested it for a meeting this evening but it is not in its designated secure vault. Julian claims he saw it left on one of the reading tables in the restricted historical archives."
Leon noted the mention of the arrogant squire and figured the young noble was probably too terrified to enter the library himself after getting thoroughly humiliated earlier that morning.
They reached the highly restricted section located near the eastern windows where the towering wooden shelves were packed tightly together to form narrow dimly lit aisles.
The ambient magical pressure in this area was incredibly dense making the air feel thick and heavy.
"Take the left aisle and scan the upper shelves," Beatrice ordered while pointing toward a narrow corridor of ancient tomes. "Do not open any of the glowing grimoires or you will likely trigger a lethal defensive ward."
Leon nodded and stepped into the cramped aisle.
He utilized his passive Aura Sight to scan the endless rows of books. The magical texts radiated brilliant shades of blue red and gold but he was specifically looking for a mundane leather bound ledger. He casually strolled down the row while enjoying the peaceful silence of the massive library.
Through the small gaps in the wooden shelves he could clearly see Beatrice searching the adjacent aisle.
She was reaching up on her tiptoes to inspect a high shelf causing her tight uniform to stretch beautifully across her athletic figure.
The Ice Queen was a woman of immense power and strict discipline but Leon was rapidly discovering how easily she melted under the right kind of pressure.
[DING!]
The unhinged crystal bell wildly echoed in his skull and illuminated the dusty books with a bright neon pink glow.
[Quest Issued: The Trapped Ice Queen]
[Context: The fiercely strict Head Maid is currently vulnerable in a highly secluded environment.
You have already cracked her icy exterior but true progress requires continuous strategic pressure. Trap her and make her acknowledge your physical presence.]
[Objective: Quietly slip into her aisle, trap her against the bookshelf using your body under the guise of reaching a high book, and press your chest firmly against her back.]
[Reward: +10 Mana, Skill ’Aura Reading (Intermediate)’, 90 Shameless Points.]
[Failure Penalty: The Host will violently stub his pinky toe against the nearest solid object completely shattering the bone and making walking agonizingly painful for a week.]
Leon stared at the floating text and let out a soft sigh of amusement.
The system was basically handing him an instruction manual on how to seduce her.
A shattered toe would drastically reduce his mobility and likely get him killed during his upcoming sparring session with the Silver Goddess so failure was simply not an option.
He heavily relied on his newly enhanced fifty five Agility points to move with the silent predatory grace of a phantom. He quickly rounded the corner of the wooden shelves and slipped directly into Beatrice’s aisle without making a single sound on the polished marble floor.
Beatrice was still standing on her tiptoes desperately trying to peer over the edge of a highly elevated wooden shelf.
She was so intensely focused on her task that she did not even register his approach until it was far too late.
Leon smoothly stepped directly behind her and raised his right arm high over her shoulder.
He planted his palm firmly against the wooden shelf right beside her head and simultaneously pressed his broad muscular chest perfectly flush against her incredibly soft back.
The Head Maid violently gasped as the highly unexpected physical contact sent a massive shockwave of pure panic right through her nervous system.
She instinctively tried to step backward to create distance but her hips merely collided heavily against his solid lower stomach effectively trapping her between his enhanced frame and the ancient books.
"What do you think you are doing Leon?" Beatrice hissed breathlessly while her icy aura desperately tried to materialize to push him away.
Leon effortlessly absorbed the dropping temperature using his Minor Aura Resistance and his Mana Skin. He simply leaned his head down until his lips were hovering mere inches from the highly sensitive skin of her pale neck.
"I saw a thick leather bound book resting on the very top shelf Lady Beatrice," Leon murmured in a deep magnetic voice that vibrated heavily against her spine. "I thought I would just reach up and grab it for you since you were struggling."
Beatrice violently squeezed her eyes shut as the intoxicating heat of his body pressed against her strict uniform completely overwhelmed her rational thoughts.
She was a master Aura Knight capable of freezing a man solid in a matter of seconds but her arms felt incredibly heavy and her heart was hammering against her ribs.
The arrogant floor sweeper was boldly holding her hostage in her own library and she was horrified to realize how deeply her body was enjoying the dangerous proximity.
"Step away from me right now," Beatrice ordered in a highly shaky voice that completely lacked any real authority. It sounded much more like a desperate plea.
Leon slowly dragged his chest against her back creating a highly scandalous amount of friction before casually reaching up and grabbing a random dusty ledger from the top shelf.
He took a deliberate step backward and offered her a charming triumphant smile as she rapidly spun around to face him with her cheeks burning a brilliant shade of furious crimson.
Before Beatrice could unleash a tirade of icy threats and potentially attempt to freeze his hands off a massive suffocating wave of pure crimson aura violently slammed into the library from the lower floor.
The terrifying gravitational pressure was so intense that several loose pieces of parchment fluttered wildly off the reading tables.
The ambient temperature in the room instantly plummeted and the soft golden runic lights wildly flickered under the immense magical strain.
"Where is my new toy?" a highly arrogant and fiercely melodic voice echoed powerfully across the grand library.
Leon felt his blood run slightly cold despite his enhanced stats.
Lady Seraphina Sterling had returned from her official duties significantly earlier than expected and she was actively hunting for her new favorite sparring dummy.
Beatrice instantly recognized the terrifying voice of the eldest daughter. She furiously snatched the dusty ledger out of Leon’s hands and aggressively adjusted her wire rimmed glasses to hide her deeply flushed face.
"You are going to report to the private training grounds this instant Leon," Beatrice whispered harshly while pointing a trembling finger toward the grand staircase. "And if you ever trap me against a bookshelf again I will personally shatter your kneecaps."
Leon offered her a highly respectful bow and smoothly walked out of the aisle leaving the flustered Ice Queen to recover her shattered composure.
He made his way toward the grand staircase knowing he was about to step directly into the lion’s den.
Surviving a highly intense physical sparring session with the untamed Silver Goddess was going to test every single skill the pervert system had graciously bestowed upon him.
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