Frozen in Ecstasy
The air crackled with frost. “Oh, look at that. It’s frozen again.”
“Let’s leave it for now. We can clean it all up at once later.”
I nodded at Eloise’s suggestion and set the towel I’d been holding aside. Roughly thirty minutes had passed since Chloe swallowed the elixir and slipped into meditation. This was my first time watching someone absorb a high-grade elixir, so I observed her with genuine fascination. Just as one would expect from the Lunaspire lineage and its affinity for cold energy, a faint chill kept radiating from her body. If I had to describe it, it felt like someone had left an air conditioner running on the gentlest breeze setting right beside us.
The impurities leaving her system froze solid almost immediately, crumbling into flakes that drifted down onto the bed. The sight was strangely beautiful, like snow settling into place—though it was a little unsettling to remember those sparkling particles were actually bodily waste.
I wasn’t the only one captivated. Eloise’s gaze had been stolen by the scene as well. A playful urge suddenly welled up inside me. I crept closer to her side, poked her gently in the ribs, and whispered into her ear.
“Do you think Chloe can hear us talking right now?”
“...Probably not. She may call it meditation, but she’s actually concentrating to absorb every last bit of the elixir’s power. Unless we deliver some major shock, she won’t wake up… That’s why it’s important to have trustworthy people nearby.”
It occurred to me that without Eloise here, I might never have been allowed this close to Chloe alone. After all, I wasn’t exactly someone she trusted.
Still, knowing our words wouldn’t reach her, I spoke to Eloise in a slightly louder voice than before.
“Keep staring like that and lasers might shoot out of your eyes.”
“Eep…”
Eloise’s body gave a small jolt at my whispered words. I pulled her into a firm embrace, tickling the sensitive spot near her ear. I understood that Chloe couldn’t hear us, but one could never be too careful. With her eyes closed she wouldn’t see anything, yet I still kept my voice low just to be safe.
At my teasing, Eloise squirmed in my arms like she’d been caught doing something wrong. She always looked adorable when she wriggled like this. Naturally, I had no intention of letting her go.
“I’m hurt, Eloise. After all the time we’ve spent together, here you are worrying about someone else while your lover is right beside you. I think my heart’s actually wounded.”
I tightened my arms around her, and a small sigh slipped from her lips. Of course I wasn’t actually upset.
“S-stop joking around… This really isn’t the time.”
“What’s the harm? She can’t hear us anyway, and her eyes are closed. Besides, you said we’d handle the cleanup after she finishes absorbing the elixir.”
Since my logic was sound, Eloise continued to squirm half-heartedly in my hold. But when she realized I wasn’t planning to release her, she went limp, all the tension draining from her body. My toned arms supported her easily, holding her up without effort.
“…Sorry.”
“Hm?”
“I said I’m sorry…!”
She grabbed my ear, desperately trying to stifle her voice while I kept tickling her. A sly smile curved my lips as I buried my face against the nape of her neck.
“Eep…”
“As much as I’d love to kiss you properly… taking the mask off would be awkward, so I’ll settle for this.”
I opened my mouth and pressed it firmly to her neck, sucking hard with a wet, audible sound. When I pulled back and admired the vivid red mark I’d left behind, satisfaction bloomed in my chest. Eloise let out a deep sigh and tilted her head down, trying to inspect the spot, but it was unfortunately just out of her own line of sight.
“Don’t worry. It won’t show.”
“Haa… This is too embarrassing. Do you really have to do this?”
I patted the whining Eloise soothingly and spoke in a comforting tone.
“Let me warn you ahead of time, Eloise. Your lover is extremely jealous, with a possessive streak so strong it can’t even be measured. I’d appreciate it if you kept that in mind.”
“What kind of nonsense…”
My shameless declaration left Eloise’s mouth hanging open in disbelief. My serious tone seemed to have robbed her of any immediate comeback.
“No, because you’re the one who keeps talking about building a harem, rolling around with one woman after another…”
“So you’re saying you want to do the same?”
“That’s not what I meant, but…”
Even though Eloise reacted with utter bewilderment, I knew she would never betray me. The mood was turning strange, so I offered a gentle smile, leaned in, and placed a brief kiss on her forehead.
“Remember this, Eloise. You’re mine.”
“…Sigh. Do whatever you want.”
She let out an exaggerated sigh as if this were just another one of our usual exchanges. I smiled and tickled her chin. Offended by the way I was treating her like a pet, she puffed up and gave me a few light thumps with her small fist.
We passed the time in quiet companionship until we noticed the room’s temperature had risen slightly. We quickly returned to our polite postures and turned our attention back to Chloe.
Soon the glittering ice crystals around her began to fade, and—
“…Huu.”
Chloe’s sparkling eyes opened as she regained consciousness.
“How are you feeling? No discomfort anywhere, I hope?”
“Lady Chloe? You didn’t experience any strange noises, did you?”
Our immediate rush of concern made Chloe’s golden eyes waver for a brief moment. She quickly regained her usual composure, however, and shook her head with a smile.
“No, don’t worry. Actually, I feel rather… refreshed and quite pleasant right now.”
When Eloise had asked about noise, she’d really been wondering whether Chloe had overheard our conversation. Fortunately, it seemed Chloe hadn’t noticed our earlier behavior at all.
I mentally filed away the useful information that I could move more freely while she was meditating. Then I retrieved the towel I had set aside earlier and carefully climbed onto Chloe’s bed.
“I’ll loosen your top a little, Lady Chloe. Serina, please wipe away her sweat.”
“Yes.”
Following Eloise’s cue, I waited behind her while she removed Chloe’s gown. Beneath the fabric that slid away lay skin as white as fresh snow. A faint chill seemed to flow across that soft, supple flesh.
Once the gown had been lowered to Chloe’s waist, I moved behind her, reached out carefully, and spoke.
“I’ll begin wiping now. Please let me know if anything feels uncomfortable.”
“It’s fine. I’ll bathe properly once my body temperature returns, so you don’t need to be too thorough.”
Of course, I had no intention of doing a half-hearted job. Only a fool would fail to savor the body right in front of them. Still, I had to play the role of Chloe’s faithful servant, making sure every action appeared to be solely for her benefit.
I had no plans to cut corners, so I gently brought the towel close to her neck. Wondering just how unpleasant these so-called impurities might look, I examined her skin without drawing attention. There was nothing particularly disgusting—just a bit more sweat than usual. Though if Eloise, whose sense of smell had grown sharper, removed her mask she might very well faint from the scent.
For reasons I couldn’t quite explain, the sight of Chloe’s sweat-glistened body and its sticky aroma felt intensely alluring to me.
The moment the soft towel made contact with her skin, Chloe’s smooth nape twitched.
…She’s tense.
She was pretending to remain composed and in control, but it was obvious she felt a subtle fear and vague reluctance at exposing her bare body to others.
No wonder Eloise gets so frustrated.
If Eloise weren’t so patient, she might have been the one to devour Chloe instead.
Like a master chef meticulously preparing priceless ingredients, I moved slowly and deliberately. I savored the feel of Chloe’s skin through the towel as I wiped away every trace of sweat.
“Lady Chloe, please raise your arm.”
“…Alright.”
I took hold of her lifted left arm, tracking the droplets of sweat with my eyes as I guided the towel downward. When the beads of moisture trickled into the hollow of her armpit, the lust lurking in the corner of my mind threatened to surge forward.
Whew. Why does it feel like the more sex I have, the stronger this urge becomes?
I drank in the sight of her exposed underarm. The instant the soft towel brushed the sensitive skin there, Chloe’s breath hitched again. In more ways than one, this was proving to be an excruciatingly difficult moment for me.