I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 848 – Side Story 121: The Scent of Water (4)

Hot indulgence continued inside the room. The sweet scent of alcohol, heat melting to the point of stickiness, and even feverish breathing sounds.

The sun set beyond the horizon. The sunset shone at an angle, making the sea look as if it were burning. Nevertheless, the heat inside the room blazed even hotter as if that beautiful scenery didn't matter at all.

The heat subsided when the sun had completely set and the sky was dyed in navy blue pastel tones. Even that wasn't of their own volition.

-Knock knock.

"Guest. The party will begin soon. Are you inside?"

She remembered telling a staff member beforehand to notify them when the party started.

The staff knocked on the door several times and left. Whether they were inside or not, since the sound of bustling movement could be heard beyond the door, their duty was fulfilled.

Silence came to the room. The heat had subsided, but a subtle warmth still remained in its aftermath.

Rudger looked at the scenery outside and alternately checked the clock, then let out a small sigh. He fumblingly fastened the buttons of his loosened shirt. Casey still sat on the bed with a dazed face, blankly staring out the window. Her hair was also damp with sweat and stuck to her cheeks.

The white skin from her collarbone to her neck, not covered by the pulled-up blanket, showed clearly even in the darkness.

At the sight of her sitting still as if her soul had left her body, a bit of mischief and sadism arose in him, but Rudger decided to restrain himself.

After adjusting his shirt, he approached Casey and sat beside her. When she turned to look this way, he removed the hair stuck to her cheek with his hand. She would normally have thrown a fit and told him not to, but now she docilely closed her eyes and accepted his touch.

How nice it would be if she were always this docile.

Rudger thought that to himself and couldn't help but chuckle.

Rather, it was precisely because she was usually headstrong and did as she pleased that these occasional glimpses were all the more charming.

There was no need to judge which was good or bad. All of it was Casey Selmore, and she was the woman he loved.

"Are you alright?"

Instead of answering, Casey shook her head. Having regained her senses to some degree, she turned her head away with a flushed face.

"......My legs are still trembling." 

"Mm......" 

"Haa. Maybe because I drank alcohol after so long. It seems I got too swept up in the mood without realizing it." 

"For someone who was swept up, you seemed to be the one unilaterally leading the mood." 

"If I say I was swept up, then I was swept up."

Rudger shrugged with an expression that said 'as you wish.' Casey looked at Rudger with displeasure.

Belatedly seeing the state of the room, she recalled what had happened just moments ago and flushed even more.

'Have I been too pent up lately?'

Well, it couldn't be helped. There had been too few cases recently to work as a detective, and as a writer, hadn't she been quite busy preparing a new work?

This and that stress had only accumulated with nothing to relieve it. Then the phantom thief incident occurred, and she was invited to a rare, expensive and luxurious cruise party.

Who would have known that the careless judgment that started with the thought 'since it's come to this, I should enjoy myself a little' would turn out like this?

'Well, not that it's bad......'

Casey felt strangely hurt in her pride and petulant when she tried to admit it. While she was still trembling finely all over, this man looked far too composed.

It felt like the heat remained only in her body. It was a flame that would never go out no matter how hard she tried to cool it.

Her heart was still beating fast and her temperature was rising, yet she wanted to cling closer and share warmth. The very fact that she was thinking this way made it impossible to shake off the thought that she had fallen too deeply for this man.

'I still feel the aftereffects greatly, but is he perfectly fine?'

Rudger was someone who didn't show anything through his expressions, so staring at him openly wouldn't reveal anything. He was probably noticing this gaze and trying even harder to hide it. So feeling petulant for no reason, she pounded Rudger's shoulder with her hand in a sulky manner.

"What. Why are you doing that?"

Rudger himself asked with wide eyes, not knowing why. Getting even more petulant at that sight, Casey turned her head away without saying anything.

Even to herself, it was really childish behavior, but there was no other suitable action to take besides this. She felt like a racehorse whose vision is blocked so it can only run the predetermined path. This warm, fuzzy feeling constrained her possibilities and led her to only one path, as if by fate.

"More importantly, it seems the party is about to start. I should get up now." 

"......Right."

Casey quickly washed off the remaining sweat with water. For Casey who manipulated water, maintaining cleanliness without necessarily using shower facilities was as easy as taking candy out of her pocket.

Rudger watched Casey and asked.

"Can you do it for me too?" 

"How about washing your own body? I'm not such a leisurely person." 

"......"

Rudger stared at Casey like that, then approached her and suddenly embraced her.

"Kyaa! What are you doing! Wa, wait! Aah really! Fine! I'll do it! I'll do it if that's what you want!"

Casey reluctantly made Rudger's body clean too. Who would have thought he'd suddenly embrace her just because she wouldn't wash off his sweat.

"Ugh. Really. Now I have to work one more time for no reason." 

"Isn't it too expensive when you can do it as naturally as breathing?" 

"I am actually an expensive body!"

Belatedly thinking that this expensive body had been teased by that man for several hours made her strangely embarrassed.

Casey smelled herself. It seemed Rudger's sweat smell was still permeating in her body.

"Is the smell strong? I don't think it's that bad."

"I, it's not like that."

Casey stuttered slightly. It wasn't her imagination that Rudger's scent remained on her body. About to wash it off, Casey found it bothersome for no reason and just put on her clothes.

Right. Just because it was bothersome. It absolutely wasn't to keep this smell on her body.

Having hastily dressed, Casey quickly finished her makeup as well. There was no need to put effort into makeup. Her base was pretty and her skin was good.

As a water mage, Casey always had sufficient moisture in her skin, keeping it fair. Never dry nor excessive. Maintaining a constantly clear and fresh state, so to speak.

In the case of ordinary mages or knights, as their level rose, the mana or aura they wielded internally became stronger and thicker, naturally expressing itself externally.

Unnecessary waste in the body decreased and they looked younger than their actual age. This was also why people of high level had increased lifespans.

Especially in Casey's case, due to the nature of manipulating water, her skin had to look much better than others. It actually was good too.

But being a party where many people gathered, Casey added makeup. Not excessively, but appropriately enough to highlight her charm.

"Now. The preparations are done. Shall we go?"

The moment Casey spoke confidently and tried to step forward, her body collapsed. Rudger hastily caught Casey.

"Are you alright? You're not sick or hurt anywhere, are you?" 

"It's not that, ugh......my legs still."

Casey still couldn't put strength in her legs properly. Rudger had no choice but to support Casey.

"I'll help you. It's not like I have no responsibility."

Casey borrowed Rudger's arm without a word. Thus the two left the premium room and walked down the corridor. Perhaps because the weather was good, there were no waves and the ship didn't shake.

Upon arriving at the party venue, the two had to face a considerable crowd.

Beautiful light reflected from the dozen or so chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It was composed of a total of three floors with even a stage device set up in the center.

People were already gathered, making conversation. Everything from what they wore was luxurious.

It was truly a party that only the upper class could enjoy.

It was an overwhelming atmosphere, but Rudger and Casey were calm. The path the two had walked was too arduous to be intimidated by such a stage.

"Oh my. That person over there." 

"That hair color. Could it be, the person said to be invited today......"

Rather, the people conversing at the party venue recognized the entering Rudger and Casey and whispered.

Especially in Casey's case, since her hair color was particularly eye-catching, she drew even more attention.

Greed filled people's gazes. The people gathered here didn't have the purpose of enjoying a festival.

The top priority was to expand networks by building connections among the people gathered here.

Rudger and Casey were the top priority targets to befriend on such a network list.

However, no one moved hastily. Not only were the two such a remarkable couple, but there was someone who stepped forward first.

"Hahaha. I'm pleased to meet you both. I'm deeply moved that you accepted my invitation and came."

A quite healthy-looking middle-aged man in his 50s welcomed Rudger and Casey with a broadly smiling face. His neatly combed dark brown hair and the impressive sideburns and beard formed in one were striking.

The man's name was Benjamin Berhem.

The owner of the major company Berhem that maintained a massive maritime industry, and the host who held this cruise party.

"Detective Casey Selmore. I'm especially grateful that you received my invitation and listened to my request."

Benjamin naturally took Casey's hand and kissed the back of it. Casey accepted it as if it were natural.

"What are you saying? When I heard a phantom thief would steal something, I couldn't just sit still. You don't need to worry. I will definitely arrest that phantom thief." 

"Haha. This is truly reassuring. But you don't need to overdo it. This ship has all the security personnel that our Berhem company is proud of deployed. The phantom thief won't be able to touch even a fingertip to the Black Diamond."

Benjamin spoke confidently. Indeed, inside the banquet hall, people in black suits were everywhere.

"If the two distinguished guests would just think of it as being on vacation and enjoy the party, I would be grateful." 

"Even if I haven't been working recently, I'm a detective. I can't just play around knowing a criminal has snuck in here."

Rudger glanced at Casey sideways. It wasn't something someone who had drunk their fill and enjoyed themselves to the fullest before coming to the banquet hall should say.

Still, he decided to stay quiet here tactfully.

"That, the person next to you......" 

"Right now, he is my assistant. He came along to help with my work."

Casey said curtly. Rudger wanted to say who made him an assistant arbitrarily, but when Casey put pressure into her linked arm, he stayed docile.

"Yes, well. We won't interfere. But please don't overdo it too much. If you can't enjoy such an occasion, wouldn't that be a loss for both sides. Hehehehe!"

Benjamin laughed like that and left. To greet other distinguished guests.

When Benjamin was sufficiently far away, Casey asked.

"Isn't something a bit strange?" 

"Right. The words about mobilizing all security personnel don't seem to be a lie. With this many people, it really seems that a phantom thief is coming." 

"He intends to catch them in earnest. With his own power too. On a ship like this in the open sea, even a phantom thief would have limited places to escape. Yet he still invited me." 

"This matter is probably an excuse and he wants to show off his connections. 'Genius detective Casey Selmore invited to party' - something like that." 

"Ugh. Gatherings of the super-rich are always like this. There's really no one who calls a detective because they actually need one."

Casey grinned.

"But does that mean I'll just sit still? Rather, on occasions like this, it shines even more when I apprehend the culprit." 

"Well, that's why we came."

Rudger said that and smoothly swept the banquet hall once.

He felt various people's gazes. Most of them showing greed toward this direction, those showing curiosity.

But among them, one distinctly different gaze was definitely mixed in.

A gaze that seemed to be wary of this side, and at the same time contained even a bit of hostility.

"Casey."

"I know. I'm feeling it too."

Casey spoke as if delighted.

"It seems they're also watching us. This is interesting."

Could they finish this game of tag before this banquet ended? Casey was already excited like a child.