Recreating the Trial
Ludenberg Lavante felt as if his innermost thoughts had been utterly exposed, already kicking off the blankets dozens of times in his mind.
Unaware or perhaps fully aware of his turmoil, Ashytara Solenute calmly began asking him about the events in the world of trials.
"I'm so glad. So, what did I say to you in the world of trials? What did I do?"
It was only natural for ordinary people to wonder how they appeared to others in their dreams. Ashytara's question stemmed from a perfectly reasonable curiosity.
But Ludenberg hesitated, mumbling as he delayed his answer. He could roughly predict how she would react the moment he spoke.
"Huh? Lud."
Of course, he couldn't dodge her pressure with mere mumbling. In his heart, Ashytara held a position even higher than his parents in some ways.
"She..."
"She? Did I do something naughty? Why are you so embarrassed?"
Naughty. At that word, Ludenberg blurted out without thinking.
"Naughty? Absolutely not. Never."
"Then why hesitate?"
"Well, it's just... haa."
In the end, he let out a sigh, hung his head, and confessed to Ashytara.
"She kissed my cheek, held my hand... and we slept in the same bed. But nothing naughty happened, of course."
Ashytara's expression stiffened at his words.
"Hmm."
A strange hum accompanied it.
"Slept in the same bed?"
Ashytara glanced at the reclining Ludenberg. The cheek kiss didn't faze her much—she'd kissed his lips just yesterday, after all. Hand-holding was the same; even before the kiss, she'd slipped her fingers into his several times without him noticing.
But sharing a bed? That felt a bit much.
Girls sometimes shared beds at night out of fear, and Ashytara herself had fallen asleep beside her sister more than once as a child, gripped by sudden dread.
Yet between a man and a woman, sharing a bed meant something entirely different. It was a symbol of marriage.
A subtle jealousy stirred. Even though it was her trial-world self, Ashytara felt it all the same. The trial Ashytara was her, but those actions weren't done by the real her living in this world.
In the end, Ashytara made a decision. She'd originally planned to sleep in the large, luxurious chair by the bed—perfectly comfortable for the night—while watching over Ludenberg.
But now, her mind had changed. She'd already bared her own feelings, after all. There was nothing to hesitate about.
"So..."
Casually, Ashytara took Ludenberg's hand and forced her fingers between his.
"We walked around the city like this, fingers intertwined."
"...Yeah."
"And then."
She leaned in close to his face. Ludenberg pulled back slightly, but she advanced just as much, finally pressing him.
"A kiss on the cheek?"
Her whisper in his ear made Ludenberg's face flush red.
Even if he'd confessed his love to his first crush and shared a kiss, his heart still pounded whenever Ashytara closed the distance. Her bold advances were too stimulating for an innocent boy.
"Uh, yeah."
"Which side?"
"...What?"
"Which cheek?"
Ashytara asked with a hint of dissatisfaction, as if trying to erase the trial Ashytara's traces.
"Come on, does it matter that mu—"
"It matters. Tell me."
Her dissatisfaction turned to insistence, and Ludenberg couldn't resist.
"...The right one."
"Right?"
Without hesitation, Ashytara pressed her lips to his right cheek.
Smack.
In that instant, Ludenberg felt the familiar sensation on his skin. It was as if a flower of heat bloomed there, his cheek turning pink.
Yet Ashytara still looked unsatisfied as she gazed at him.
"So, cheek kisses like that, and sleeping together in bed?"
"...Yeah."
"Got it."
For some reason, Ludenberg felt an ominous premonition at her next words.
"T-Tara."
"Yeah?"
"C-Could you let go of my hand now?"
"Why?"
"My body's getting hot..."
"What?"
Indeed, Ashytara's assault was overwhelmingly effective on an innocent boy. The heat rising in Ludenberg's body, which had started to subside, flared up again.
"S-Sorry!"
Realizing her actions had only stoked his fever, she wiped the sly smile from her face and looked at him with genuine apology.
Ludenberg's head spun. The stimulation was too much.
"N-No, it's fine. Just... let go of my hand first..."
"Oh, right!"
After the commotion settled, Ludenberg lay peacefully asleep with a fresh, cool damp cloth on his forehead.
His ominous premonition hadn't come true. His body had overheated from the unbearable stimulation.
Had the fever not spiked so suddenly, Ashytara would have insisted on sharing his bed tonight.
But with his temperature shooting up, she couldn't follow through. More stimulation might keep him from recovering by the friendly match.
So, as originally planned, Ashytara sat in the luxurious chair beside his bed, watching him intently.
Suddenly, a smile crept across her lips.
Today had been a dreamlike day for her. Seeing the self-reliant Ludenberg depend on her filled her heart to the brim.
She began poking his cheek playfully. Now, such touches felt natural. Ludenberg was still awkward with her, but if she kept this up, he'd warm to it in time.
Even after yesterday's kiss, he blushed at the slightest contact. Thinking of that, Ashytara's smile deepened.
What a shy guy. I hope the Glory Festival comes soon.
Setting aside the upcoming friendly match finals, she wanted Ludenberg to shine at the Glory Festival, where all of Solemnute's people gathered.
Truth be told, she wanted to attend herself—to reach the finals, cross swords with him, and watch him win up close.
But knowing that was impossible, she harbored another wish: to officiate as the Solem priestess, draping the wreath of Solem's glory around his neck when he triumphed.
And on that day when he finally earned everyone's recognition, to hear his answer to her confession.
Barring any twists, it would come true. She prayed it arrived soon.
With that hope, Ashytara gently stroked his face. The flush from the fever had faded back to normal.
He'd likely recover fully by morning. Knowing it was wicked, she still felt a twinge of regret.
Still... this'll have to do. At least it'll ward off the vultures around Lud.
Entering his room had been strategic too. Rumors of Ashytara spending the night with Ludenberg in his room would scare off any half-hearted admirers.
People didn't care much about facts—titillating stories spread like wildfire on their own.
The rumors would balloon into all sorts of embarrassing tales. That was part of her plan.
She needed other girls to know she'd claimed him first. Normally, it'd be shameful, but she had no qualms.
Too many eyed Ludenberg. She'd been openly warding them off at Ortara, but without her, he'd face relentless advances from Ortara girls and Solemnute Adem students alike.
So she shoved down the shame rising in her chest. Securing him came first.
If the rumors escalated to engagement talk, even better.
Anticipating tomorrow's chaos, she flashed a wicked smile.
As Ashytara predicted, the rumors spread like wildfire among Solemnute Adem students the next day—exactly as she'd imagined.
Ashytara had barged into the boys' dorm.
She'd dragged Ludenberg to his room.
They hadn't emerged once, except for that one stew break, spending the whole time together.
Some girls eyeing Ludenberg turned green with jealousy and dismay. Boys looked at him with envious stares.
The scandalous gossip reached Nadan Tes, who was reviewing research materials in Professor Nah Tes's lab.
"What?"
"Uh, well... those two we saw before? They're apparently like that. Maybe already..."
He didn't need to hear more.
Thud!
"Gah! Nadan! What the hell!?"
Denetim Setta's shrill cry rang in his ears, but Nadan ignored it, bolting from the lab.
His recent words echoed in his mind: he didn't need Eve Arcadia's attention anymore.
One goal: punish the deceitful Ludenberg.
That was all.
The monumental rumor even reached Sione Solenute's ears.
"...Pardon? Professor Hainkel. What did you just say...?"
"Er, well... yesterday, Ashytara went into Ludenberg Lavante's room and hasn't come out."
"..."
"S-Sure, students sometimes bend the rules, and we turn a blind eye, but this seems a bit..."
Sione nodded. If it had happened in Solemnute, she'd have smiled and praised Ashytara.
A Lavante-imperial union carried immense symbolism.
But this was Ortara. Foreign soil.
If Ashytara gained a reputation for promiscuity abroad, it tarnished the imperial dignity.
"...That girl."
Sione set off too.
To reprimand Ashytara.