Chương 353: Chapter : 353

Sayma completely ignored her angry sister. Forcing Sayma to frantically drag her "boyfriend" away before Zaima could actually punch him right in the face. They rushed out of the dining room, leaving the furious elite servant standing completely alone with the untouched premium desserts.

The news spread through the estate faster than a lightning bolt. Laxmi made absolutely sure of it. The bright morning sun shined down on the quiet courtyard. Laxmi sat on the edge of the stone fountain. She swung her legs back and forth. A massive, mischievous grin covered her face. She held a half-eaten apple in one hand. She pointed her other hand directly at Naomi and Elma.

"I am telling you the absolute truth," Laxmi laughed loudly.

"Sayma took Ken to her family mansion last night. They had a massive, fancy dinner. Sayma told her strict parents that Ken was her deeply committed, passionate boyfriend." Naomi stopped wiping her silver daggers. She stood perfectly still. Her green eyes widened in pure shock. Elma almost dropped the white bakery box she was holding. The blonde girl from the 16th Unit had visited the estate again today. She claimed she brought more leftover pastries. But everyone knew she just wanted to see Ken.

Elma stared at Laxmi. Her blue eyes looked totally panicked.

"A date? Sayma took him on a date to meet her parents? That is completely unacceptable!" Laxmi took a crunchy bite of her apple. She chewed happily.

"It was not a real date, Elma. Sayma just used him to escape an arranged marriage. She needed a fake boyfriend. She needed someone her parents would absolutely hate." Naomi let out a long, quiet breath. She crossed her arms over her chest. She squeezed her own arms very tightly. She tried to look totally calm. She tried to look like a strict, focused vanguard leader. But inside, her heart felt very strange. A tight, uncomfortable knot twisted in her stomach.

"So her parents hated him?" Naomi asked. She tried to keep her voice perfectly steady.

"They kicked him out?"

"Nope!" Laxmi cheered. She tossed her apple core into a nearby trash bin.

"That is the funniest part! Ken did not even try to act fancy. He wore his suit, but his shirt was totally untucked. He ate three huge plates of food. He told her strict, terrifying father that his only life goal was taking naps on a potato farm." Elma gasped softly. She covered her mouth with her hands.

"He talked about potatoes to a wealthy nobleman? That is a social disaster."

"It was a complete success!" Laxmi corrected her. She clapped her hands together.

"Sayma's parents absolutely loved him! They thought his lazy attitude was refreshing. They thought he was very honest. They gave the fake relationship their total approval. Sayma is probably still trying to recover from the shock." The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The courtyard went completely silent for a few seconds. Naomi looked down at the stone pavement. She bit her lower lip. She did not yell. She did not act disgusted.

Over the last few days, her feelings toward Ken had changed completely. He had saved her life. He made her laugh. He was a messy slacker, but he was also her most loyal friend. Naomi felt a sudden, massive wave of fierce jealousy wash over her. She wished she had thought of that plan. She wished she could take Ken somewhere nice. She did not have a wealthy family to introduce him to. Her family had disowned her. But she still wished she could walk arm-in-arm with him down a fancy street. She wanted to show him off.

She wanted people to see them together. Elma felt the exact same way. The blonde servant paced back and forth across the stones. Her polished boots clicked loudly. Her face turned a vibrant, glowing shade of pink.

"This is incredibly unfair," Elma muttered to herself. She gripped her bakery box very tightly.

"Sayma just used him. She tricked him into a fake romance. She did not even buy him a proper gift beforehand. I brought him a premium chocolate cake yesterday! I gave him strawberry candies! I should have been the one to take him to a nice dinner!" Ira stood near the entrance of the main house. The water mage wore her neat dark blue uniform. Her posture was perfectly straight. Her pale face showed zero emotion. She stared blankly at the other girls. Ira processed the new information.

Her highly analytical mind calculated the data. Sayma and Ken had shared a quiet, romantic-style dinner. They had pretended to be in love. Fake actions often triggered real psychological responses. Ira did not like that statistical probability. Ira remembered sharing a quiet piece of chocolate cake with Ken in her bedroom. He made her feel completely safe. He told her she did not need to be a perfect weapon. She liked his quiet company. She wanted more quiet moments with him.

She did not want Sayma to take all of his free time. Meanwhile, the boy they were all stressing over was completely oblivious to the massive drama outside. Ken Eliot was currently inside the living room. He was sprawled across the long, comfortable sofa. He wore his baggy gray sweatpants and a loose white t-shirt. He held a brightly colored comic book in his hands. He popped a sweet, sticky gummy candy into his mouth. He chewed lazily. He stared at the colorful pages of his comic book.

A cartoon hero was fighting a giant robot on the page. Ken smiled. He loved simple stories. They were very easy to understand. They required zero mental effort.

"Man, this hero is doing way too many backflips," Ken mumbled happily to himself. He turned the page.

"Backflips burn too many calories. He should just throw a rock at the robot. Throwing rocks is much easier." Ken let out a long, relaxing yawn. He stretched his legs out. He felt entirely safe and comfortable. The scary politicians were gone. The trial was over. He just wanted to spend his entire day rotating between the sofa, the kitchen, and his bed. He had absolutely no idea that three highly lethal, elite female warriors were currently standing outside in the sunlit courtyard, fiercely competing over him.

He did not know that his fake date with Sayma had completely lit a massive spark in their hearts. Out in the courtyard, Naomi let out a frustrated sigh. She walked over to the stone fountain. She sat down on the edge. She looked at Elma.

"Sayma is very sneaky," Naomi complained softly. She crossed her arms.

"She used her big brain to secure a massive advantage. She got a free evening with him without anyone else around." Elma stopped pacing. She turned to face Naomi. Her blue eyes sparked with intense rivalry.

"It was a deceptive tactic. Ken is very clueless. He probably thought they were just going to a normal restaurant. He does not understand high-society romance. Someone needs to teach him proper etiquette. Someone needs to show him what a real, flawless date looks like." Ira stepped forward from the doorway. She walked slowly toward the fountain. Her face remained a flat, emotionless mask.