Shameful Fantasies
...... Ed turned to Enya with a flustered expression. Her question had caught him completely off guard. Why had he been holding Isabella from behind? The words stuck in his throat.
"No, how could you possibly..."
More than anything, it was absurd that Enya even knew about it. After all, the bed had been completely hidden behind curtains, and no one had peeked inside. Unless someone had installed a camera expecting them to lie down together, there was no way to confirm what had happened within.
"...I see. So I was right."
Enya nodded as if her guess had been confirmed. Then she began explaining the basis for her deduction.
"Actually... I caught a glimpse. The moment you drew the curtain open, I saw Isabella sleeping."
"......"
"And that was the strange part. She was lying too far to one side... and more importantly, there was a clear trace of someone else having lain beside her. The shape matched someone embracing her from behind."
So that was how it happened. What monstrous dynamic vision. To capture that fleeting instant as he stepped out from the curtains and remember it in such detail. Then again, that was precisely why she was a swordsmanship prodigy. She could instantly analyze countless postures in minute detail, allowing her to learn any sword technique with ease.
"I see. Through that gap..."
Ed accepted the explanation. Anyone else might have missed it, but Enya could freeze that split-second frame and recall every detail.
"...Yeah. Sorry if it felt like I was prying into your relationship. But I couldn't stop wondering. How you and Isabella... got so close. As you know, Isabella was originally my friend. So I was just... curious."
Enya framed the question as Isabella's friend, but the truth was simpler: she had been jealous. She had become friends with Ed first, so why had he embraced Isabella from behind? Why had Isabella allowed it? And how had Bella, who suffered from chronic insomnia, fallen so soundly asleep in Ed's arms? The questions gnawed at her until her emotions threatened to burst. Until she knew the reason, she could barely function; the thoughts consumed her every waking moment.
At that moment, Ed shrugged and spoke.
"Well... honestly, the hug from behind wasn't anything special. It's just one of the sleep therapy methods."
He said it casually, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Enya swallowed and focused on his next words.
"Holding someone from behind... is a common technique in sleep therapy. Some people sleep better when they have someone beside them."
Enya felt a quiet sense of relief at his answer. The way he spoke—so detached, like a doctor prescribing treatment—lent credibility to his words. If what he said was true, then Ed had merely given Isabella the appropriate remedy. The only remaining question was how he even knew about such methods.
When she asked, Ed replied,
"Ah... actually, I already knew about sleep therapy. The village chief back in my hometown taught me."
Of course, that was a lie. He couldn't exactly admit he had learned it in a previous timeline, so he had pinned the knowledge on a village chief who had supposedly fought in the Great War. Fortunately, Enya seemed to believe him.
"Ah... so that's how it was..."
"Right. But keep this between us. It could cause trouble if other people find out."
"Oh, of course! I won't tell anyone. Ever!"
Enya answered with a bright smile, visibly relieved. Now that she knew nothing improper had happened between Ed and Isabella, she had nothing left to worry about.
"Hehe. The beer tastes great. Can I have another glass?"
"Sure, as long as you don't go over your limit."
"Come on~ It's only two glasses. I'll be fine."
Having regained her usual energy, Enya beamed and kept refilling her beer. Once the issue that had been eating at her for days was resolved, she drank with growing enthusiasm.
"Um, where's the bathroom?"
She had suddenly drunk far too much liquid and now felt an urgent need. Ed chuckled.
"Over there. Go past the shower and it's further inside."
"Got it. I'll just wash my face while I'm at it."
Enya stepped out of the room, even closing the door behind her. She didn't want Ed to hear the sound of her using the toilet.
"Phew. Thank goodness."
Luckily, the bathroom was a short distance from Ed's room. At this range, the sound probably wouldn't carry. Sitting on the toilet, Enya buried her nose in the shirt she was wearing—Ed's shirt. A pleasant, floral scent rose from the fabric. Ed already used something similar to fabric softener.
"It smells so nice......"
Her face flushed red as she smiled. The thought that she was wearing clothes Ed normally wore kept making her grin. Every time she moved, the soft fabric brushed against her skin, and she imagined it had touched Ed's skin too. The thought sparked indecent fantasies so intense that she had to pinch her own thighs several times.
"Hup... haah..."
Enya, who had kept pouring beer without knowing her own tolerance, was now indulging in perverted appreciation she would never have allowed herself while sober. She pressed her face deeper into Ed's shirt, trying to catch more of his scent. Only after thoroughly enjoying herself did she wash her hands and check her reflection. Her face was far redder than she had expected.
"Am I... drunk?"
She rarely drank even at social gatherings, so she had never really known her limit. Yet after only seven beers, her face was this flushed.
"I need to be careful..."
Enya steeled herself. This time, she would not blurt anything out in front of Ed. She would behave normally. With that resolve, she splashed cold water on her face.
***
When she returned after washing up, Ed was laying out bedding beside the bed. Enya tilted her head.
"Huh? You're going to sleep already?"
"Oh, you're back? It's getting late. Look—"
Enya followed his finger to the clock. It read 11:30 p.m. When had time passed so quickly? Being with Ed always seemed to make the hours accelerate.
"Ah... it's already this late."
"Yeah. Shall we turn in?"
Ed sat down on the bedding spread across the floor. Enya's eyes widened in alarm.
"N-no! You're the host. You should take the bed."
Ed smirked.
"At this rate you'll be charged with the crime of excessive consideration, my lady."
"B-but I'm fine with it."
"Don't worry about me. I've slept here plenty of times."
Ed gave the simple folding cot a few pats. Enya frowned.
"You sleep on that often...?"
"Yeah. Sometimes I end up sleeping in the lab. When that happens, I just lay this out on the floor."
"...Oh."
Ed was the type to lose himself so deeply in research that he would sleep in the lab. Enya nodded, thinking it was very much like him. That same passion and effort had allowed him to create those incredible suits and gauntlets.
'Ed is... working so hard to stay ahead...'
Yet the more he pulled ahead, the smaller she felt. Compared to him, who was constantly advancing, she seemed utterly insignificant. She was hailed as a swordsmanship genius, but in truth she was nothing more than a flashy empty cart. Her ranking proved it. Fifth place. She had believed that even if first place was impossible, she would at least secure second. But Battojutsu had too many openings and limitations; once opponents saw through them, she lost easily.
—I don't understand why you insist on that childish sword style. You're wasting your talent.
Recently, Professor Garcia had even scolded her directly. With talent like hers, why choose such a flawed technique? He had strongly urged her to let him guide her toward a sword style better suited to her abilities.
—No. I'll prove it. Just watch.
She had refused outright. Battojutsu was still incomplete, which was why its flaws were obvious. Once she perfected it, she was certain she would become the strongest.
"Hey, Enya?"
Ed called her name. She had been standing there lost in thought, so he had grown concerned.
"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking about something else."
She scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile. Ed chuckled and told her to get into bed so he could turn off the lights.
"Ugh... I'm really sorry. I feel like I'm causing you trouble."
"It's fine. It's not like I haven't slept on a folding mattress before. Shall I turn off the lights?"
"Huh? Oh, sure."
Ed pressed the switch connected by a spell and extinguished all the lights in the room. Enya climbed into his bed and pulled the pleasantly textured blanket over herself. With the air conditioner blowing strongly, wrapping herself in the blanket felt oddly comforting.
'I'm in... Ed's space...'
And somehow, the moment felt strangely intimate to her. She was lying beneath the very blanket Ed used. Wasn't this a completely different level of closeness compared to what Isabella had experienced? She was covered by the same blanket that had covered him, lying in the same bed where he had tossed and turned.
'Ugh! Am I a pervert?!'
Yet these feelings were entirely new to her, and even Enya was surprised at herself. She couldn't believe she was capable of such shameful thoughts. But she couldn't help it. The ideas kept coming. This was the most personal and private space of the person she liked. Being right in the middle of it, she had no choice but to endure the flood of wild fantasies.
"Enya."
Just then, Ed—lying on the floor—called her name. Enya jolted as though her indecent imaginings had been discovered.
"Huh? I didn't do anything, okay!?"
"...?"