Chapter 86: Naughty Hands

"You’ve been staring, Lydia. Am I that fascinating?"

To be honest, she wasn’t quite sure how to react either. This was the first time she had seen Rishe—or rather, Russell—as a man.

"Well, of course! I always thought you were a woman. But you aren’t—and I’m still having a hard time believing it."

Russell chuckled and reached for her hand, then gently placed it against his chest.

"Feel free to touch. Would you believe me now?"

Lydia’s fingers pressed lightly against his chest before slipping beneath the loose hem of his pajama shirt.

Her palm brushed over his chest, firm stomach, and feeling the lean muscles beneath his warm skin.

This one is a man. That’s for sure.

Ephraim had a broad, powerful build, with wide shoulders, a well-defined chest, and strong arms.

His godlike muscles were clearly developed through years of intense training, while his narrow waist gave his physique an impressive shape.

As the Commander of the Imperial Elite Sentinels, he certainly looked the part.

Ephraim was practically the embodiment of the Empire’s strongest fighting force.

Russell, on the other hand, had a leaner, more slender physique. He wasn’t as bulky as Ephraim, but his toned body and defined elegant abs were certainly nothing to complain about.

And Zachary?

Well, that man was another story entirely.

Good grief. Did House Ludenberg have a special training program for producing handsome men with ridiculous physiques?

Zachary was the tallest among them all, broad-backed, thick through the shoulders and chest, with strong arms and a well-defined waist. Powerful but refined.

Lydia might have been the daughter of House Valendorf, the Empire’s Sword, but that didn’t mean she was blind!

I may come from a military family, but I’m still a connoisseur of fine physiques. I certainly know a good body when I see one.

She silently nodded to herself as her hand wandered much lower as curiosity got the best of her.

Excellent specimens. All three of them.

Russell coughed awkwardly, but it was more than enough to snap out Lydia of her shameless appraisal mode.

"Ah, ah.... Lydia—your hands are wandering further down. I mean, I don’t mind, but..."

Lydia finally realized what she was doing.

"Sure, me too—Ah! I mean... S-sorry!"

She quickly released Russell and turned away with crimson cheeks.

Of course, guiding a Sentinel always made her go into heat. But Lydia tried her best to keep it down.

For now.

Good grief. So my roommate really was a man all along. I probably shouldn’t be exploring what’s inside his pants, though. Naughty hands.

Sorry not sorry, hehe.

Russell watched her reaction with an amused smile.

"Still having trouble believing me?"

No, of course not. We really have different anatomy! Ahem. I mean... now that I know the truth about your condition, I know someone who can help you."

To cover her awkwardness, Lydia hurried to change the subject.

"Well, I know I shouldn’t be saying something like this, but do you know a man named Zachary? He’s our senior."

Russell tilted his head slightly.

Lydia walked over to her chair and began preparing the herbal tea the Head Principal had given her earlier.

The familiar scent of herbs soon filled the room, giving her something to focus on besides the heat inside her body.

"Zachary told me your parents asked House Ludenberg to look after you before they passed away. Why don’t you tell us more about what’s going on? Maybe we can figure something out together."

She poured the tea into a cup and handed it to Russell.

"And I think we can ask Ephraim for help as well."

Russell frowned and rested his hand against his chin, clearly reluctant to involve Ephraim.

"I’m sure he could help you, though. He’s the Crown Prince, after all."

He reached for the bracelet on his wrist and typed on the hologram interface.

"I should inform the Head Principal that I’m feeling better. Thanks to your guide, Lydia."

"You’re welcome, Russell. Please feel free to ask me to guide you anytime. We are best friends, after all."

"Best friends, huh...."

Lydia clasped her hands and gave him her best puppy-dog eyes. "Right. That’s why please let us help you, okay?"

The poor young man sighed when he knew he was already losing this battle.

He had never been good at saying no to Lydia.

"All right. I’ll talk to the Crown Prince and Senior Zachary about it. But only because you asked."

●●●

Both Lydia and Russell were sitting on the fifth floor of Coronet for some privacy.

Unlike his usual feminine attire, Russell was wearing a black turtleneck and a pair of trousers today.

His appearance was completely different from the Rishe she had known for the past half year.

"You’re really a man."

Russell burst into laughter at her blunt remark.

"I am. I am. But if you feel more comfortable with me being a woman, I’ll try to be Rishe just for you, Lydia. Although I much prefer being a man."

"Then you can be Russell when we’re together. But if you want to stay incognito and be Rishe in front of everyone, I’ll always support you either."

"I’ll tell Hugo, Simon, and Kathy once I’ve finished dealing with the situation," he nodded.

That was understandable.

Revealing his identity too early could put his friends in danger—like what she had exprienced—especially when the Prime Minister still had people searching for him.

"I also asked Professor Greg not to reveal my Sentinel Rank in class. I even personally requested to join the Regular Class to the Head Principal. My Prime Minister has spies everywhere, so I couldn’t afford to draw attention to myself or trust anyone too easily."

"Spies? Even in Belfort University?"

Russell nodded.

"When you went home during the midterm break, someone tried to assassinate me while I was sleeping."

Lydia’s eyes widened.

"Your Prime Minister even sent an assassin to our room?!"

"I was fortunate enough to survive." Russell’s expression remained calm although his smile gradually turned colder. "The Head Principal helped me deal with the... body, afterward. I’m grateful that he was willing to assist me."

Lydia shuddered at the implication.

"That’s horrible. You could have been killed!"

"Fortunately, I’m still here."

Lydia looked at him for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

"You really need help, Russell. Please let us help you. I don’t want to lose you."

Before Lydia could say anything else, a warp portal appeared in the air, and Zachary stepped out of it.