In my past self, I would not have noticed it at all.
The reason I could win, that is.
I would have simply rejoiced at the thought of having beaten my mentor.
I would have foolishly boasted that even a meticulous mentor could let their guard down and grinned like an idiot, completely unaware it was all intentional.
Right after, the foolish disciple would have had to take some time to reflect.
Rachel and I had engaged in bare-handed sparring over the course of six months, easily exceeding a hundred rounds.
I had won a few times, but never had I achieved victory so effortlessly as I did now.
Rachel always gave her all in everything she did.
She didn’t let her guard down, nor had she ever made a mistake; not once did she ever go easy on me, all in the name of discipline.
So when I perceived a gap from such a master, I naturally thought it was a trap and planned to feign taking the bait while preparing for a counterattack…
*Smack!*
Just as I thought I’d retreated well, a precise strike landed on Rachel’s left calf, and for the first time, her body—never once having fallen before—shot into the air.
In that tense moment, I wondered if this too was just another bait.
“Ugh?”
Suddenly, Rachel grabbed my clothes tightly, and without a moment to brace myself, we both toppled over.
As a result, I turned into the shameless disciple who ended up sprawled on top of my master.
And at that moment…
*Squish!*
An overwhelming softness surged through my chest.
It was on a completely different level compared to the sensation we’d felt during our first sparring match at the Grand Ducal Palace.
Besides, back then, I had been in direct contact with her.
The softness I felt was something no artificial sensation could replicate, and it was definitely different from that experience.
About five months ago, I had accidentally discovered that Rachel always wore her pressure bandages except when washing.
When I asked if it was uncomfortable, she dismissed it as merely one of a knight’s virtues.
So why was the sensation now so vividly felt against my skin?
Even though I took off my thick outer garments for sparring, and Rachel’s top was thin, how could it feel so tangible?
Though I had never seen or touched a woman’s chest directly, due to the memories of the original Elden, I could vaguely picture its size just from the sensation I felt.
It was big.
Really.
How could the performance of the pressure bandage be so exceptional that it could make such a sizable chest appear modest?
Furthermore, why had she loosened it?
Why was the pressure bandage—something she wore all year round as a knight’s virtue—now off?
Even if it were off, she could have easily started wearing it again, so why was she…
I stubbornly captured the gaze of Rachel, who was laying on top of me, as it naturally wandered toward her chest area.
“R-Rachel…?”
I stammered, trailing off.
The question mark at the end of my words hung in the air.
My bewilderment was evident as I called out to Rachel, but she merely looked at me with wide eyes.
In a hurry to distance myself from the sensation against my chest, I attempted to raise my upper body, but Rachel tightened her grip on my clothes, preventing me from doing so.
We were at a precarious distance, practically breathing the same air.
The tingling sensation from where our chests touched…
Soon, Rachel, who had been staring intently at me, narrowed her eyes and spoke, as if seeing right through me.
“It seems you’ve had more than a mere coincidence, haven’t you? My dear disciple?”
Only then did Rachel loosen her grip on her top, allowing me to finally rise.
As I contained the strong aftershocks still lingering on my chest, I reached out to Rachel, and she dusted off her backside after taking my hand and getting up.
“What’s this about something unusual?”
“I caught a strong scent of Lady Ariel.”
“Hmm?”
*Sniff, sniff.*
I leaned in to check if the smell lingered on my shoulder after holding Ariel all night, but there wasn’t a trace of her scent at all.
Wondering if my sense of smell had dulled, I sniffed my other shoulder and even lifted my clothes to get a whiff…
Suddenly, an unexpected question hit me.
“Did you perhaps… share a body with her?”
“…Huh?”
Out of the blue?
Was she really asking if I… shared a body with Ariel?
“I’m just asking to confirm, you know.”
So, she pretended to fall just to catch me off guard for that?
But… what’s the point of asking that?
“Are you saying ‘shared a body’ in that kind of context?”
“Indeed.”
“Just like that?”
“I’m merely inquiring because abstinence is beneficial for mental and physical training, please don’t misunderstand.”
…Going all out with the term ‘mental and physical training,’ huh?
I was merely doing some training here and there for a monstrous culinary adventure.
I had no clue what my master’s intentions were, especially since abstinence had never been mentioned before. I shrugged and replied.
“That’s impossible. The situation was tough, and I was just holding her warm because she was cold.”
“Holding…? You mean, bare?”
“No? I was clothed.”
“Oh, so you’re saying you only hugged Lady Ariel to keep her warm?”
“Firewood was scarce, you see.”
Only then did Rachel’s narrowed eyes widen in understanding.
Her previously sulky expression softened.
“I see. Since you’re tired, let’s end the sparring here. Go wash up and rest.”
With that, Rachel abruptly turned away, as if all further sparring was pointless.
Wait, so was that her way of confirming abstinence?
Hold on, does this mean…
“Rachel? Are you implying we must abstain until our training ends?”
I had promised Rachel as her disciple.
To absolutely fulfill any command aiding in my skill enhancement.
To regard her orders as the Emperor’s decree.
Though I couldn’t fathom how abstinence hindered skill growth, if Rachel were to invoke a moral argument for that, it would indeed put me in a tight spot.
Twenty-six years old.
At an age bursting with vitality, being ordered to embrace celibacy would be pretty disheartening.
I’d roamed the battlefields, passed by countless red-light districts, and felt my instincts stir while glimpsing voluptuous women.
I hadn’t particularly intended to be celibate, but given the lack of opportunity and having no passion for visiting those establishments while lying to my companions, I ended up living a somewhat involuntary celibate lifestyle.
People tend to desire what they’re told they can’t have.
Thus, I threw a worried question at my master.
After a brief pause, she turned back to me with a seemingly amused smile and replied.
“It depends on who your partner is.”
A rather ambiguous answer.
And with that, she departed the clearing.
Left alone, I pondered her response, pacing about the clearing.
‘…So you mean, ladies of the night are off-limits…?’
—
“Huuhuhuh~”
Ariel, laboriously hauling in some red mandragora roots, was humming a tune while cooking them whole.
Ariel was stirring whatever was bubbling away in the pot with a ladle, her cheerful demeanor brightening the dreary atmosphere.
Following behind, Rendler wore a puzzled expression. It was clear that the road had been arduous, yet Ariel looked incredibly cheerful.
“Ariel? Did something good happen?”
“Huh?”
“It must have been tough with the cold, yet your face is so bright.”
“Oh.”
Realizing she had been humming, a light blush crept onto Ariel’s cheeks.
[Something good]
That phrase instinctively reminded her of the scene where she had spent the night nestled in Elden’s embrace.
It was a cozy, warm, and endlessly shy moment filled with a flutter of excitement.
After glancing around, Ariel shyly smiled.
“Hehe, it’s nothing much.”
“Why? What happened?”
Rendler displayed curiosity at Ariel’s response and was, to a degree, taken aback by her answer.
“Elden hugged me all night because I was cold.”
“What? Lord Elden?”
“Yes.”
“Ha ha. That surely qualifies as something ‘good.’”
Rendler broke into a content smile.
Ariel cocked her head, confused by his certain declaration.
“Why’s that?”
“Being embraced by someone you like is undoubtedly a pleasant experience.”
“Eh…?”
Ariel’s eyes widened at Rendler’s words, which seemed to see right through her.
The reason she was humming despite her exhaustion, and her burning desire to collapse into bed, was because her heart felt more elated than ever.
Rendler precisely struck at the heart of her feelings, leaving Ariel speechless.
As Rendler gazed at her with satisfaction, he poured the richly brewed herbal concoction into a cup and placed it onto a tray.
“Perfectly brewed. I’ll take this to my Grand Duchess. You should go wash up and rest.”
With that, Rendler left the kitchen, heading up to the second floor, where he handed the cup to Lumia, who was sitting there dazed.
“?”
Looking curiously at the cup, Rendler relayed the efforts of Elden and Ariel.
“Lord Elden and Lady Ariel personally climbed the mountain yesterday to fetch these red mandragora roots. It will be a great help for your recovery.”
“……”
Receiving the cup, Lumia anxiously scribbled something on a piece of paper with a worried expression.
[Wasn’t the White Storm on the way yesterday..?]
Rendler’s smile grew broader.
“It seems your wish for the Grand Duchess’s recovery overcame even the White Storm. Hahaha.”
“……”
Lumia, lost for words, stared blankly at the cup beside her.
The red mandragora roots they had braved the natural disaster to fetch for her—
An accidental reunion that could have easily passed by; she felt an indescribable guilt toward Elden and Ariel, who risked their safety for her sake, making it impossible to decline.
Holding the cup, Lumia gazed into the deep brown brew swirling inside and downed it in one go.
And then…
The following day, Lumia, having recovered enough to be mobile, decided to head to the kitchen early in the morning when everyone was still asleep, intending to pay back what she had received.
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