The Good-for-nothing Bastard who could gain Skills by Kissing-Chapter 1 - 0 The Good-for-nothing

Royal Academy of the Lizarck Kingdom.

The Academy is the most sought-after place for learning on the continent.

Within this esteemed institution, there was a particular man who earned a reputation for himself just one year after entering: the "Good-for-nothing Bastard."

This title referred to a young man named Loryarc Lapizburn. He was once a strikingly handsome individual with a naïve personality and a peculiar sense of justice that often led him to interfere in others' affairs. Unlike most noblemen, he had a fondness for commoners, which made him quite odd in the eyes of his peers.

However, his physical, magical, and academic talents were notably lacking. As a result, he was considered a good man, but ultimately useless.

As for the term "Bastard"...

"Good morning, everyone~!"

That was due to his engagement with one of the most beautiful women at the Academy, which was solely based on his looks. He was so fortunate that it irritated many to the point of exasperation. His handsome features were almost annoying; it was as if he would be better off as a woman!

But that was in the past.

Loryarc Lapizburn was now merely a handsome but disabled man who could hardly move without his fiancée, the breathtaking Glamoria Hallmeavan, pushing his wheelchair to class. He often stared blankly at the floor with his mouth agape, lost in a daze.

About a week after their engagement was made public, an unfortunate incident occurred.

Loryarc was poisoned by an unknown assailant.

When his maid discovered him, he was already foaming at the mouth and unconscious. Glamoria used her wealth to find a cure, but all her efforts were in vain. The damage was too severe; his brain was affected, leaving him unable to think like a normal person.

"Alright, Lory, why don't you say hello to everyone? H-e-l-l-o~."

Like a devoted wife, Glamoria crouched beside him with a beautiful smile, guiding him to greet his classmates.

In response, the dazed Loryarc slowly raised his head, staring blankly at his classmates with his mouth open.

"H... Heeee... hoo... hoo..." he managed to utter, reminiscent of a zombie.

"Well done, Lory~. You really are a smart man!" Glamoria exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight.

"Haa..."

Her excitement was infectious, leading the other students to clap awkwardly in response. It was common sense not to let a strong-willed woman like Glamoria lose face, after all.

However, one chestnut-haired maid stood silently behind Glamoria and Loryarc, refusing to clap her hands. She frowned as she witnessed the clapping crowd—people who, behind their forced smiles, were mocking him.

Her Master was already suffering; why did they have to belittle him further? The maid, Marie, fought back tears as she observed the unsettling scene.

As class began, their professor entered, teaching the students about the principles of wind-element magic. Marie continued to watch, silently observing her Master in his pitiful state, caught between life and death.

She was always there beside him: when he struggled to swallow a piece of meat that Glamoria had cut too large, when he attempted to read lengthy sentences, and when he tried to do things that were clearly beyond his capabilities.

Marie could only intervene when he was bullied by envious noble kids, or when she helped him change clothes, bathe, eat, or get to bed at night.

She had been there for an entire year.

Then, one night, something unexpected happened.

"Marie... Thank you. For everything," Loryarc said suddenly.

"M-Master...!" Marie exclaimed, her heart racing.

Could it be that her Master had miraculously regained the ability to speak? Hope surged within her.

But instead of recovery, Loryarc appeared pale and weak, looking at her with gentle blue eyes that lacked their usual spark.

"Can you... Tell my thanks to my mother and father, too?" he requested.

Marie felt a knot of dread tightening in her chest.

"M-Master, p-please don't talk! I-I'll call for a physician—"

He grasped her hand, stopping her as she moved toward the door.

Loryarc shook his head and smiled weakly. "Thank you... Really... thank you so much, Marie."

Then his eyes began to dull before finally closing. His hand fell limp onto the bed.

"M-Master... N-No..."

Tears welled up in Marie's eyes as she lost her composure.

She longed to wipe them away, but her focus was on something far more important at that moment. Reaching out, she checked his pulse and felt it faintly beating.

"He's alive!" she thought, but as time passed, that pulse started to fade.

"Master... please!" she cried, her tears spilling over.

In desperation, she raised her hands over him, releasing a soft green light from her palms toward his heart.

This was her makeshift healing magic, one she had barely mastered due to her low magical talent. Only after Marie used all of her Mana did her Master's condition stabilize.

"Master... Please... Don't leave me..."

Marie lost strength in her knees and barely stood with trembling legs.

But she forced herself to stand, expectantly glancing at her Master.

And her hope, fortunately, is answered by God.

Her Master began to open his eyes.

He even began to look at his surroundings. Still pale, but didn't look like he would disappear after a blink.

After experiencing the grim fear of losing him, Marie couldn't remain calm when seeing him escape the grip of death, and immediately rushed into his arms.

"M-master!"

Her tears burst out once more. This time, not because of sadness and fear, but by relief at the safety of her Master.

Her tears fell to her Master's cheek, stopping him from glancing around, and finally noticing her presence.

"Am I not... Died yet?"

Her Master muttered in a quiet voice, questioning himself rather than others.

Since Marie is so close to him, she could clearly hear him, so she immediately nodded her head.

"Y-Yes! Yes! Master! You're alive!"

But Marie didn't realize that her Master is no longer her 'Master'.

[The System: Kiss for more had been successfully awakened.]