Cecilia's Secret 4
"...Leo oppa. Is your leg feeling okay?"
On the road back to the Lord's Castle alongside the weary soldiers, an awkward silence stretched between Leo oppa and me as we walked a little apart from the rest. It felt like that silence was stabbing at my side, so I couldn't hold back and spoke first.
"Ah, yeah. It's fine... What about you, Cecilia? No injuries?"
"Yeah. Thanks to Sema oppa... I'm okay too."
Was he searching for something to say as well? He fixed his somewhat dejected expression and checked on me with concern. But for some reason, even though he said it was fine, a shadow seemed to fall over Leo oppa's face again.
"...Sorry. As a hero, I should've protected you..."
He looked so utterly drained... What on earth did he have to be sorry about? If Leo oppa hadn't bought me that moment, I might've gotten hurt even if Sema oppa was safe. It seemed like he was shocked at being flung away so helplessly.
It was a demon beast that looked that dangerous, so it wasn't exactly surprising... Yeah. This was pretty much the first time something like this had happened, but as his fiancée, I had to comfort him...
"Don't blame yourself too much, oppa."
It was a demon beast that massive and hideous-looking. What could a level 30-ish human hero do about it?
"I wasn't in any real danger anyway. Thanks to Sema oppa, not a speck of dust touched me."
To keep up with someone as fast as Sema oppa, and he managed to halt it even briefly—that alone was impressive, right?
"Even the soldiers ready with their weapons couldn't do a thing against it. You don't have muscles like Sema oppa, but blocking it once like that is still amazing."
I'd had a fleeting thought when Leo oppa stood against the Hero Eater. He didn't have Sema oppa's muscles, but as a hero, maybe...! I'd felt a spark of expectation... But seeing him fly off just from it shaking its head, it felt like the obvious outcome.
"If you hadn't had that hero's fighting spirit only heroes can use, you wouldn't have lasted even that moment. That alone proves you're a great hero...!"
That was plenty of achievement, wasn't it? Leo oppa didn't have a shred of visible muscle—slender like a girl. No matter how much hero fighting spirit he wrapped around himself, with such a frail body, how could it even manifest properly?
"Sure, Sema oppa held it off barehanded... but that's just because he's a naturally superior male..."
It couldn't be helped. Differences in innate physique couldn't be bridged by tricks. Unless he was a high-level hero like a Hero Knight... At Leo oppa's current level, it was natural he couldn't match that superior male's power.
Heroes or whatever, humans were ultimately human... Stripped of weapons and skills, bare-bodied, they were inferior to monsters...
...Yeah. That was just the natural order of things.
"S-So! You're strong enough on your own, Leo oppa! Even if not as much as Sema oppa. Have some confidence!"
"...Ugh, grrr..."
Huh...? Why was Leo oppa making such a pained face? Was it that hard to accept being a weaker male than Sema oppa?
Ugh... Why...? It was obvious, though...?
Heroes were special, sure, but Sema oppa was an even more special Divine Beast. A strong male with that superior body to boot. I'd experienced it myself—I knew full well. No matter how hard a human tried, they couldn't match Sema oppa's superior male physique.
That ferocious, raw power surging from Sema oppa's superior body... Yeah. It was magnificent enough to make my heart race.
To even compare, you'd need to be top-tier among heroes, like a Hero Knight...
So why couldn't Leo oppa accept it, twisting his face in agony...?
...Did I pick the wrong words to comfort him...?
I had no idea...
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After that, Leo oppa and I returned to the Lord's Castle without another word. He mumbled a half-hearted "see you tomorrow" like he'd wrung it out and dragged himself back to his quarters.
I spent the night mulling over his dejected expression, then headed to the training grounds out of habit come morning.
...Is he okay? It was the first time I'd seen him like that... What should I even say today...?
It felt like my attempt at cheering him up yesterday had backfired somehow...
Haa. So frustrating.
"Cecilia."
"Huh? Leo oppa?"
How'd he know I was at the training grounds? As I was warming up, he walked in.
"...Wanna train together?"
Oh... That serious look on his face...
I got it. He must've realized he couldn't just sit around.
Hehe... Cute.
It was a holiday, and here he was, coming to train with that earnest expression. The same oppa who'd dodge me whenever I chased him with a sword, saying it was dangerous...
Fufu. I never knew he could look that serious? Kinda cool, actually!
Yeah. As his fiancée, I should help him get stronger!
"Sure! Let's train together, Leo oppa!"
"Alright. Then, the swords..."
"Ah, Mom already put them away! I don't have my armor right now anyway—how about we spar hand-to-hand first?"
"Hand-to-hand isn't that important... No, sure. It'll still help train the body."
Fufu. Even Leo oppa, who always swung a sword as a hero, was learning. Thanks to Sema oppa, I'd realized moving barehanded builds you up surprisingly well. Swords were still my favorite, of course... but it felt like Sema oppa had opened my eyes to fun alternatives.
Sparring like that with Leo oppa would be thrilling no matter the reason! Though last time was a letdown. This time, with him looking serious, it'd be different, right?
How strong would a determined Leo oppa be? Come on! Your cute fiancée will help you get stronger, so bring it!
"Ready? Here I come! Oppa!"
"Got it. I'll attack first!"
Kyaa♡ Leo oppa attacking first for once!? That's it, oppa!
I'd been so frustrated always having to hold back while he just took my hits!
Yeah. He can get stronger. Someday, even if not now, Leo oppa could become a male as strong as Sema oppa...!
"Hya! Ha! Haa!"
'......Huh?'
What was this? This faint impact wrapping around my arm?
Huh? Leo oppa. Your face is serious... but you're still going easy on me?
Even as a weak, muscleless male, you're a hero, right? This wasn't much different from last time... Was he waiting for an opening...?
Then, if I open up a bit...
"...! Kgh...! Haa!!"
I gave him an opening, but he flinched for a second. Was he holding back because I was his fiancée... Being that gentle...
- Thud!
...Huh?
...Why wasn't my womb trembling? It hit my abdomen dead-on...
Huh? It didn't even hurt that much...?
"...Ugh...! C-Cecilia. You okay...!!"
"Oppa. Aren't you going too easy? If you wanna get stronger, hit me full force..."
"What are you talking about? That was everything I had! Doesn't it hurt!? Is something..."
...Ah. What the hell. That was his full power...?
Even with that utterly frail body without a hint of muscle, I'd thought his serious effort would be different...
...Haha. Now I get it. Why Sema oppa emphasized being a superior male so much.
I see... Even as a hero, at this level... No matter how hard he tries, Leo will never catch up to Sema oppa in his lifetime.
Human male. An inferior male... could never match a monster, a superior male...
"...Haa. Leo oppa."
"Yeah? Cecilia? You okay?"
"My turn to attack now. Block this."
"Ugh, wait, Cecili...!"
Why? Why was I getting so irritated? Leo oppa was trying to get stronger for my sake... As his fiancée, I should cheer him on and help...
But knowing his limits were so obvious no matter what, disappointment turned to annoyance. A hero, my fiancé who I'm supposed to marry... Why was he born with such an utterly inferior body that couldn't satisfy me!
"Kgh, Cecilia...!"
"Endure it! You wanna get stronger, right!? What if you can't even take this!?"
If this was all he had, no amount of effort would make him a superior male!
My fiancé, who made that frustrated face...! All that squeezed-out power was just this much!?
That wasn't a male! He couldn't subdue me with that!
"Gack, kuhuk...! Cecilia...! Wait...!"
"You're so soft! Flat! What the hell is this body! Put some real muscle on it, make it hard!"
What? Why that agonized look? My weak punches that wouldn't even tickle Sema oppa—did they hurt him that bad?
Haha! He looked so strong before, but turns out Leo's just dickbait after all?
Yeah. What can you do! That's the level of an inferior male, right?
A pathetic, frail male getting overpowered by a female...
...Pfft. Right. You're just like all those other males I beat down... Unable to subdue me, an inferior male after all.
Yeah. In that case... If that's all the male you are...
Your role is to be my sandbag!!
"Kehuk! Cough, cough...!! Gack...!"
"Puhuhu...♡ Push-up~♡ You're so weak, Leo."
"Ugh, Cecili..."
"Haa... To be this weak... You'll really need to put in a lot of effort from now on."
Though it'll probably be the same no matter what... Who knows. As a hero, a chosen one, maybe he'll suddenly awaken and become a strong male worthy of his fiancée.
But if not... If you stay an inferior male, Leo...
...For now, you're my fiancé. I'll believe in you. You're different from the others, so you can get strong. Become a superior male and dominate me.
"...No time to slack off, Leo. From now on, train with me whenever you have time. Like today."
"C-Cecilia...?"
"Train till you're half-dead. If you stay weak, you'll just be my sandbag like today."
Please, train till you're half-dead and awaken, Leo. Otherwise, I won't see you as a male anymore.
If you don't want to live as my sandbag forever...
If you don't want me stolen by a superior male...
Get strong and satisfy me. Not that I'm expecting much.