Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Envy
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"Mm..."
As I stared down at her in a daze with my cooled head, Sietra let out a soft breath and stirred.
Then her tightly shut eyes slowly fluttered open.
"...Huh?"
And she met my gaze.
"Ah, um... you're awake?"
"..."
A moment of silence.
I could fully understand her mind as she blankly stared into my eyes.
She must be confused.
Having just woken up, it took quite a long loading time to process the information laid out before her.
And once that time was up...
"Kyaaahhh━!!!"
The proper output fired from the input data, resulting in me getting smacked with a pillow.
"What the hell!! Wh-what are you doing in my bed?! Pervert!! I thought you were a pure man who loved his wife!!"
"Eek! I don't know either! I-I opened my eyes and suddenly Sietra was lying next to me...!!"
"...Ah."
As if something dawned on her from my words, the pillow she'd been swinging like a war hammer stopped, and a light voice slipped from her lips.
What? What is it?
"...Hm."
For some reason, her brain had cooled down perfectly, and she calmly rose from her spot.
Ah, good. She's wearing underwear...
"Pfft!"
"Wh-what are you looking at?! Don't stare!"
I buried my face in the pillow she'd swung at me and waited a moment.
Then came the rustling of fabric and the sound of a zipper closing, followed by Sietra's voice.
"There. Now you get dressed too, Ken."
"Ah, yes. ...But what exactly happened to us?"
When I pulled my face from the pillow, Sietra—now in different clothes from yesterday—was brushing her hair.
She folded yesterday's outfit neatly and tucked it into her bag.
I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling spare clothes from my subs.p.a.ce pouch, and asked.
Fortunately, I was in my underwear too.
"...You threw up, Ken."
"...M-me?"
"Yes, you. You suddenly vomited and spilled your drink, so I got soaked in booze and you in vomit."
That's why we were undressed.
Thank goodness my subs.p.a.ce pouch always had spare clothes; I was in clean ones now.
If there hadn't been extras...
I'd have had to rinse the vomit-soaked clothes and wear them damp. Horrifying.
"...Huh?"
As I tidied my scattered clothes and examined my shirt, it wasn't as soaked or filthy as I'd expected.
Sniffing it lightly...
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
"No, ...it just smells only like booze for some reason."
"M-more importantly, let's grab breakfast and head out quick! I want to get back to the village ASAP."
"Ah, yes."
I didn't know what happened, but yesterday's clothes weren't that dirty.
Lucky, I guess.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The way back to the village was the same path we'd taken yesterday, so we made it quicker.
"So, what do you think now?"
"...About what?"
But walking in silence was still boring.
So, like yesterday, I casually spoke to Sietra walking beside me.
Perhaps because of the morning incident, her reply was a bit curt.
"About men. You heard tons about me and my wives yesterday."
"...Yeah."
"Did it spark any interest?"
Proban's real intent in a.s.signing me as her guard was to get her interested in men.
To make this girl, who reflexively rejected any man, feel favorably toward meeting one.
"Hmph! How can I trust a guy who sneaks into a girl's bed?"
Contrary to my hopes, Sietra whipped her head away and shot me a sharp side-eye.
With nothing to say, I scratched my head silently.
'...But I think I was on the inside of the bed.'
Usually, if someone sneaks in, they'd be on the outer side, right?
As I tilted my head at the sudden doubt and sorted my thoughts...
"Still..."
"...Yes?"
"Well, you talking about your loved ones... you looked pretty happy."
Her sharp edge softened a bit as she clasped her hands behind her back and glanced at me.
"If I... had someone decent? Hypothetically? ...I wouldn't mind, I think."
"That's great to hear."
Having shared love with my beloveds, I'd recently realized how precious it was.
Though three was a bit much in number.
Anyway, at my age, it saddened me that Sietra might live her life without meeting anyone.
So her answer satisfied me plenty.
I smiled genuinely and looked at her.
"Sietra's attractive, so a good guy will definitely come along."
"...Hmph."
At my final words, she crossed her arms again—embarra.s.sed or annoyed?—and turned away.
"Then, shall we talk about your type of guy this time, Sietra?"
"...Me?"
"Now that you're open to it, better to set some standards in advance."
"Eek, ah, no, I..."
"Come on, what about this? Like, must-haves you can't compromise on!"
"...Ugh."
After that, Sietra and I chatted amiably in a much friendlier vibe, wrapping up the trip enjoyably.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Well, it was short but fun. I'll drop by again tomorrow when Priest Proban arrives."
"...Yeah."
Ken and Sietra returned to the village as the sun began to set.
It was about time a drop of orange paint fell into the once-blue sky.
Arriving earlier than planned, Ken safely escorted Sietra to the church and waved with a gentle smile.
'...He smiles nicely.'
That was Sietra's impression, watching Ken's retreating back after their two-day trip together.
"...What is this."
Sietra placed a hand over her chest, clutching at the hollow feeling as she watched him go.
Her fist trembled faintly.
'Strange sensation.'
This odd feeling, one she'd never experienced in her life, left her standing frozen in place.
It was novel, but not pleasant at all.
Somehow like hunger pangs.
And Sietra recalled feeling this sensation once before—last night.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ugh... I-I'm really fine."
"No... You threw it all up. Go to sleep now."
The scene in her memory: herself staggering, Ken awkwardly supporting her toward the room.
It was a moment from last night he didn't remember.
The drinking dragged late into the night, leaving only one room at the inn.
The drunk pair had no choice but to share it.
"C-come on, take off your clothes and sleep."
"T-take off my cloooothes...? Y-you pervert...!"
Slap.
Not even knowing what she was saying, habit made Sietra swing her palm at Ken.
But hitting his cheek felt like striking a stone pillar.
Ken sat her on the bed unfazed.
"Then I'll sleep... Definitely change clothes. ...You're filthy."
"F-filthy...?"
Ken didn't reply further, stumbling to his spot, turning his back to her, and shedding his clothes casually.
Her vomit hadn't gotten on him, but the drink she'd spilled had soaked his outfit.
Down to his underwear, he climbed into bed and fell asleep instantly.
'...Suspicious.'
Watching him, Sietra hiccuped, face flushed, and stood.
Her mouth felt gross from the recent puking.
She grabbed her toothbrush from her bag and headed to the bathroom.
After cleaning up thoroughly and feeling refreshed, she returned, stripped off her dirty clothes like Ken...
"..."
In her underwear, Sietra glanced at sleeping Ken.
"Hey..."
Drunk and wobbling, she crept close, squatting by his head, whispering.
"You really asleep...?"
"...Snoore."
What if he woke once she slept and pounced?
Maybe he was faking it.
She'd approached to check, but thankfully, Ken was out cold.
'He's handsome...'
Meant to just verify, she ended up staring at his sleeping face for a while.
Clear skin, features like a master sculptor's work.
Even drunk asleep, he was beautiful.
'...Hard to believe this face was once ugly.'
She'd never seen it, but he'd described himself as fat and unattractive.
How bad could it have been, even fattened up?
'...Envious.'
Suddenly, she envied his wives.
They'd loved him from his fat days onward—good people.
As they nurtured those feelings together, he slimmed down in the dungeon.
The women who'd loved his chubby self suddenly had a stunning hunk.
What luck.
"...Kiss."
And among the stories Ken shared, what made Sietra's heart flutter most...
His tales of kisses with them.
None in ordinary situations, but each brimmed with affection and sincerity, vivid in her mind.
Recalling them...
Sietra's eyes naturally fell on Ken's sleeping lips.
'...What would it feel like.'
The thought flashed by.
Drunk Sietra unconsciously leaned slowly toward his face.
Now just a finger's breadth away, she stared.
Thump, thump.
'Huh... Wh-why me.'
Her heart suddenly pounded wildly.
This heat rising to her face felt different from the booze; her head went blank.
Was this okay?
To a sleeping person.
Then.
"Mm... No... don't."
"...Eek!"
Ken's sleep-talk made Sietra stifle a shriek and pull back.
Thinking he'd woken, she watched breathlessly.
His mumbling continued.
"...I have... three... loved ones... already."
What dream prompted that?
Startled, Sietra deflated with a small sigh.
'...What was I doing.'
This way, she was the one pouncing, not him.
Even drunk, that was no excuse for a priest.
'Still...'
Sietra blankly gazed at sleeping Ken again.
"...Mm."
Then Ken shifted, pressing against the wall.
Hiccuping drunk, eyes unfocused, Sietra eyed the empty spot on his bed.
Having peeked face-to-face earlier, she now slipped into it without resistance.
'...Envious.'
Lying beside Ken, back to the wall, facing his sleeping face.
'...If I had someone who loved me this much.'
Planning just to lie there a bit, Sietra...
Felt the bed's lingering warmth from Ken and surging sleepiness from the booze.
'...Then maybe I'd want to... try it too.'
And drifted off right there beside him.