Delicate, Yet Shamelessly Freeloading [Quick Transmigration] Chapter 97

Chapter 97: The Child from the Pay-to-Win Parenting Game (14)

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He even took out a small handkerchief from his chest pocket, looking refined and composed.

 

Bit by bit, he dabbed it against the tip of his nose and the corners of his eyes.

 

A group of older boys, most of whom were also of noble birth, also carried handkerchiefs to maintain a clean and proper image. But none had ever seen someone like Shui Que.

 

It seemed his handkerchief was slightly smaller than theirs, with a more intricate pattern. Was it because he always carried it with him? Did it smell as fragrant as he did?

 

Kaide’s palm was still wet and cold. Water dripped from his fingertips onto the wooden floor.

 

He unconsciously clenched his palm for a moment, then spread it out again and compared its size.

 

It might have been a bit of an exaggeration, but he really felt that this person’s face was no bigger than his palm.

 

If he were to help him wipe his face…

 

One hand would definitely be enough to cover it.

 

Kaide’s hand was cold, but his ears burned.

 

Someone suddenly asked, “Garrick Louis and Dorian Louis—are they your older brothers?”

 

They had noticed the pattern sewn onto Shui Que’s handkerchief: the sweet flag iris.

 

After all, Garrick and Dorian had graduated from Virginia Academy, and as distinguished alumni, their names were still preserved in the dormitory records.

 

At least in the Knight House and the Law House, all the senior students except the newly enrolled freshmen still remembered the two names.

 

A rare few had even heard that the Louis twin brothers had a younger sibling—physically frail, a crybaby… oh, and with a terrible temper.

 

The youngest Louis, whose temperament was rumored to be awful, glanced at them lightly and replied in a muffled voice, “Yes.”

 

Most students at Virginia Academy were sons of nobles. Even Prince Eldran, the former crown prince, studied here. Shui Que, on the other hand, was merely the youngest son of a small county count. Among this group, his background wasn’t particularly distinguished.

 

Everyone was simply astonished. Given the Louis twins’ strong and imposing image, it was hard to imagine they had such a… delicate younger brother.

 

Shui Que finally finished wiping away the water from his face.

 

【Character [Shui Que] Mood -1】

 

His cold voice was like heavy snow snapping midnight branches.

 

“Is it your duty—to offer comfort to your knight brothers as well?”

 

Shui Que looked toward the youth who had spoken.

 

Apart from the deep blue outer robe and the bright white cravat tied high at his neck, the rest of the young man’s attire was entirely black.

 

He sat on a high stool in a dimly lit corner. His complexion was pale and chilling, and his pitch-black eyes stared at Shui Que without blinking.

 

Shui Que had previously noticed that this group seemed to follow Kaide’s lead, but Kaide always sought this person’s opinion first.

 

Kaide addressed him as—Prince Eldran?

 

Shui Que didn’t understand why the other kept staring at him during their earlier interactions. He tightened his grip on the handkerchief.

 

“Of course.”

 

“With joy, hope, assurance, and compassion, I comfort the Holy Court Knights, easing the pain brought by their travels and battles.”

 

Shui Que could recite it word for word. He straightened his chest slightly in pride—though the action was hardly visible beneath the voluminous robe—and declared with conviction, “That is the duty of a Soothing Knight.”

 

Eldran made no comment. He merely said, “Then I wish you success in graduating and joining the Holy Court Knights.”

 

Shui Que glanced at him again. “Thank you.”

 

His dehorning concluded under the burning gazes of the others.

 

…

 

The following morning was the first day of practical classes.

 

According to the required curriculum for third-year students in the Knight House, the morning was dedicated to contortion, and the afternoon to swordsmanship.

 

Before starting the day’s lessons, they had to attend mass and eat breakfast.

 

Virginia Academy provided ample breakfast: each student received half a pound of meat and cabbage, beans, or other root vegetables, along with a dry and hard piece of barley bread. All ingredients came from farms affiliated with the monastery.

 

Shui Que looked troubled and poked at his food with a fork.

 

There was no rich mushroom meat soup, nor any wine-soaked plums.

 

Without the chefs from Virginia Academy, Tuva’s culinary circle was like a knight’s tournament without Shui Que—utterly unqualified.

 

A breakfast lacking in color, aroma, and taste.

 

He sluggishly carved into a large piece of stewed lamb.

 

The dining hall had ample space, with several long tables seating all the students of the Knight House.

 

Virginia admitted very few students each year, so just one long table was enough to seat all the third-years.

 

The others, having been at Virginia for three years, were already used to the food and devoured it in no time. Only Shui Que ate slowly.

 

He neatly cut the meat into small, even squares before putting it into his mouth.

 

Shui Que watched wide-eyed as the brown-haired boy beside him dealt with the dry, hard bread in just a few swift bites.

 

Noticing Shui Que’s gaze, the brown-haired boy gave a shy smile and, lowering his voice as if not wanting others to hear, asked, “Do you need help cutting it?”

 

Shui Que shook his head and pushed his plate slightly toward the other. “Are you still hungry? I can’t finish this.”

 

His fingernails were pink and neatly trimmed. His finger pointed directly at the especially large piece of whole grain bread.

 

The brown-haired boy paused, eyes fixed on Shui Que’s finger, then quickly smiled again, “You can put it on my plate.”

 

Shui Que’s eyes lit up. He immediately shoved the bread onto the other’s plate like it was a hot potato.

 

“Thank you. What’s your name?” He stopped eating, pushed his plate aside, and rested his chin on his arm, watching the boy.

 

The brown-haired boy clearly grew more bashful. His chewing became reserved. “Brian. My name is Brian.”

 

He carefully finished the bread for Shui Que and, with his permission, also helped eat the remaining stewed meat and vegetables.

 

Shui Que also noticed that nearly all the boys nearby had gone back for second helpings after finishing their first plate.

 

They ate like elephants.

 

“I’m done,” Brian said, his two plates completely clean with nothing wasted. “But will you get hungry? Today’s classes take a lot of energy. You only ate a little. Do you want me to get you some more lamb stew?”

 

Shui Que declined. “It’s alright. I’m full.”

 

If he got hungry between classes, all he had to do was act a little pitiful and the male lead would definitely spend Interstellar Coins to buy him little cakes.

 

Shui Que had already mastered manipulating Guan He.

 

He and Brian went to return their trays together.

 

The morning class was contortion, and the loose robes they wore for meals and mass were unsuitable for physical activity, so they needed to return to their dormitory rooms to change into more appropriate attire before class.

 

Brian asked in surprise, “You’re also in the same dorm room as Prince Eldran?”

 

The dormitories were divided into rooms of ten, each room split into separate cubicles with a shared common area.

 

When Shui Que arrived, he had been placed into the only room in the dormitory that still had a vacant bed.

 

Last night, after washing up, he had gone back to his small room to rest. He even woke up late in the morning, nearly missing breakfast, so he didn’t run into the others from the dorm. It was only now that he realized Brian was his roommate.

 

Back in the dorm now, he didn’t hear anyone else. He wasn’t sure if the others were in their own rooms or had already changed clothes and left.

 

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Having gotten used to Semi Studio’s pay-to-win scheme, Guan He no longer raged at the game.

 

He simply paid with a blank expression and even added a honey pancake roll to his order.

 

The redwood door creaked open.

 

“Why didn’t you knock?”

 

“Why didn’t you—close the door?!”

 

Shui Que’s voice overlapped with Kaide’s.

 

Not just Kaide, but a few other unfamiliar roommates were also leaning on the doorframe.

 

Shui Que had just taken off his shirt, and when the door suddenly opened, he had only managed to hastily throw on an outer robe, his back facing them.

 

His rounded little shoulders were exposed under their scorching gaze. The air was cold. He shivered slightly. Maybe it was just their imagination, but his pale pink shoulders looked red from the chill.

 

His delicate brows furrowed, glaring at them in anger.

 

[Character Shui Que feels offended. Mood -1]

 

“Sorry, sorry.” Kaide quickly covered his eyes and even tried to cover his friends’ eyes. “Class is about to start. We were worried you hadn’t caught up or couldn’t find the place, so we came to check.”

 

“We did knock. The door just… opened after a couple of knocks.”

 

They had seen their dormmates shirtless before.

 

But somehow, just glimpsing a bit of exposed skin from the newly recommended student felt especially offensive.

 

The boys all felt their blood rush hot through their bodies, flooding into their heads. They instinctively averted their gazes.

 

“We didn’t mean to.”

 

“Please… don’t be mad…”

 

From a side room, a door pushed open from the inside.

 

“Get out.”

 

Eldran said coldly, putting an end to the rowdy morning mess.

 

Guan He muttered curses under his breath, blacklisting every one of those NPCs by name.

 

[You eat like elephants and now say the door opened after a knock? Were you pounding it like a drum? Endless brute strength every day.]


[Shui Shui, take care of yourself out there! Mommy’s heart hurts.]


[It’s over… baby’s going to appear in so many stinky boys’ dreams tonight…]


[At this age, one glance at Shui Shui’s shoulders and they’re ready to plant a flag…]

 

……

 

Shui Que was still upset about what had happened. When they got to the classroom and those boys tried to greet him, he didn’t even glance at them.

 

He pursed his lips, clearly wanting everyone to know he was still mad. Like a little tail, he stood beside Brian.

 

But when it was time to re-line up, he was pulled to the very front row, first position.

 

It was sorted by height.

 

He was even half a head shorter than the second person next to him.

 

So small—completely like a lamb that had strayed into the Knight House.

 

The instructor looked familiar.

 

His brows were stern, red short hair swept across his forehead, face cold and expression harsh.

 

“Veyron has been assigned an extra mission today. The team heading west to the Weiss Mountains needs his strength, so I’ll be taking over this class temporarily,” Ladon explained succinctly.

 

“Contortion isn’t exactly my specialty,” he said while circling them, his gaze as sharp as a blade scanning these greenhorn students. “But whether it’s contortion or other combat classes, the goal is the same: to develop your strength and reflexes so you can seize the upper hand in close combat—whether against enemies or monsters.”

 

“Of course, that’s not all. In combat, offense and defense shift in the blink of an eye. What I’m teaching today is how to quickly build a defensive frame when you’re at a disadvantage.”

 

Ladon continued, “Take note—defense, in general, aims to neutralize attacks. But a defensive frame is designed to prevent you from falling into an even worse position. So, before you can mount a proper defense, you must ensure you don’t slip into a critical disadvantage.”

 

Because the current Holy Court Knights’ Commander himself was teaching, it was a rare opportunity. The students listened with rapt attention.

 

Ladon asked, “You all know about the high mount position, right?”

 

Everyone nodded—except Shui Que, who softly asked the student next to him, “What does that mean?”

 

Ladon had sharp hearing, and Shui Que was in the front row. He looked toward him and explained, “In simple terms, it’s when the enemy, having gained overwhelming advantage, mounts you across the midline, making further resistance impossible.”

 

Why was he looking at him while explaining…

 

Wasn’t that just announcing to everyone that he didn’t even know this?

 

Shui Que bit his lip in embarrassment.

 

“When you’re already mounted, constructing a defensive frame requires you to avoid giving the enemy the advantage of the high mount position,” Ladon said, demonstrating on himself. “Don’t let them sit above your ribcage or even your chest. One arm must block horizontally, the other arm must tuck in, keeping space under your armpit.”

 

“Which one is Brian?” Ladon asked.

 

Brian raised his hand.

 

Ladon: “Veyron mentioned you were pretty good at contortion last semester? He seems to think highly of you.”

 

Brian smiled shyly, not replying.

 

Ladon issued a command without hesitation, “Then you’ll demonstrate the defensive frame. Step out!”

 

Brian: “Yes, sir!”

 

Ladon casually pointed again, this time at Shui Que. “You too.”

 

Shui Que couldn’t believe it. “M-Me? I’m attacking?”

 

Ladon raised a brow and countered directly, “What, you’d rather be the one getting mounted?”

 

Everyone’s eyelids twitched. Only Ladon seemed completely unaware of how strange that sounded.

 

He had simply thought, judging by Shui Que’s tiny frame, if he were the one demonstrating defense, he’d probably spend the whole class pinned, maybe even hurt.

 

Shui Que hesitantly stepped forward. “Okay.”

 

[What is happening? With my baby in this class, everything just turns… weird…]


[I know it’s just a lesson, but still…]


[Commander, do you not see the boys in the back with bloodshot eyes? They clearly want Shui Shui to mount them.]

 

Brian lay down on the mat, preparing to be pinned—

 

His breath hitched.

 

Shui Que sat on his tense waist and muttered, “Am I pressing too hard on you…?”

 

Brian’s mind buzzed so loud he didn’t catch the words.

 

So soft.

 

That was Brian’s first thought.

 

His thighs pressed into either side of Brian’s waist—soft and warm, in stark contrast to the rigid abdominal muscles beneath. Meltingly soft.

 

The breeches hugged his body’s curves. The black velvet fabric and precise tailoring made the shape of his thighs impossible to ignore.

 

Shui Que listened to Ladon’s words, and as the demonstration began, he scooted forward slightly—Brian didn’t resist at all.

 

[I surrender…]


[Sorry baby, I’m getting a little… um.]

 

Ladon’s furious voice crashed down like summer thunder through mountain valleys. “Brian! Are you dead? Where’s your defensive frame?!”

 

“At the very least, you should counterattack, right?” Ladon demanded.

 

Brian raised his hand from the ground, speaking in a muffled voice, “…Sir, if I counter, I might hurt him.”

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Huge shoutout to @candycorns2 on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.

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