Do I Need a Reason?
“You… you’re really okay with this?”
“Stop asking so much. I already know everything about myself, you know.”
It wasn’t because of her age—nineteen was adulthood by any standard here. The reason was simply the location: the infirmary at Minerva Academy. Their dedicated nurse had stepped out at the perfect moment, leaving only the two of them.
Yet the constant risk of someone walking in kept the unease alive. A quiet chu-rut—
Her lips suddenly bloomed with another warm, plush sensation.
This time Rie Arche von Haniel took the lead, clinging to him like a girl starving for affection. The kiss was painfully awkward; she parted her lips but clearly didn’t know what came next. When she timidly extended her tongue, he let her follow, and her hesitant movements slowly steadied.
“…So the academy’s prodigy actually hesitates in this field.”
“Y-You’re too familiar with me! Maybe… if you—”
“Don’t misunderstand. You’re my first kiss too. I’ve never done this with anyone else.”
At least, not in this life. He muttered the last part only in his mind.
Relief flooded her eyes at his words. She nodded.
“…”
Her body trembled violently, as if every muscle in her was wound tight with tension. Even the legendary academy genius, the future Sword Master, was nothing more than a trembling, frightened woman right now. Once she had received the clear message that he would not pull away, it was time for him to take the next step.
He gently pulled her into his arms, then shifted positions so she sat on the edge of the bed. The warmth of his body seeped into hers, then flowed back, and slowly the frantic shaking of her frame began to ease.
“You don’t have to rush. We’re at the academy—someone walking in would make things awkward for both of us. There’s always plenty of time later anyway.”
“…”
“A proposal came from the von Haniel marquisate. A man from another family.”
“Ah.”
“Everyone marries or betroths around this time. I… I don’t want that. I want to stay by your side. That’s why I’m clinging to you so tightly. There’s no time.”
Discussing marriage with the Haniel marquisate meant they were already talking about the highest royal family. No matter how brilliant a swordswoman Rie was, refusing her family’s will and her father’s wishes would be nearly impossible. She must have been terribly anxious.
“Still, suddenly making a scene like this… won’t it tire us both?”
He knew it went against every shred of etiquette to knock over the perfectly arranged table right in front of him. Yet he refused to let today’s actions leave either of them in pain. More importantly, Rie was a woman whose future was far brighter than his.
The academy prodigy, already the second-best, would be even more dazzling once she took the final steps toward Sword Master. If he blocked that path, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
“I won’t break. I’m not the kind of woman who crumbles just because she’s with the man she loves.”
Her voice was firm, her eyes certain. He found himself nodding despite himself. He had tried his best to stop her, yet she still shook her head.
Now there was no logic, no reason left to consider. Only emotion drove them forward.
Slowly, carefully, he began unbuttoning the shirt she wore, one by one. From a distance it had looked impressive; up close it was breathtaking. The fabric parted, revealing a breathtaking view.
“Eek…”
“W-What is it? You’re… blushing…”
“N-No. Uh… I just thought your chest was… really big.”
He had heard men liked big things. Maybe his taste in women…
“Big breasts are off the table for me. Right now this is exactly what I like. You’re so beautiful.”
The swell beneath her undergarments was impossibly lovely. Looking lower, he saw a waist that dipped gracefully, a stomach flat as a blade, and not a single extra ounce of fat.
Even seeing only part of her, his heart was already pounding like a war drum.
“Ah…”
Rie, who had been bold at the start, now hid behind her hands, eyes darting, face averted, arms trying to cover herself. He wanted nothing more than to rip the undergarment away and bury both hands in those two soft mounds, but he held back.
This was her first time. Even he, no stranger to such things, understood that the first time for a woman was always embarrassing and frightening. He must not push. He must wait until the tiniest shred of reluctance vanished from her heart.
Since this was unexpected, he could not afford even a single mistake. He wanted only good memories. He wanted her heart to remember only this moment.
“…”
“Thank you…”
Finally, her trembling seemed to ease. She whispered and slowly withdrew her arms.
His hand reached out and caught the edge of the undergarment, pulling it down slowly.
Thud—!
Rie’s bare breasts filled his vision, truly exquisite.
How was he supposed to describe them? What words could do them justice? Pure innocence and seductive allure existed in equal measure. Just looking was enough to make him dizzy with excitement for the first time.
“You’re staring too blatantly…”
“Sorry… but you’re just too beautiful…”
It wasn’t just empty praise. It was sincere admiration for the highest work of art. She must have felt the warmth of his words, because a soft laugh escaped her lips.
An angel smiling with her chest completely exposed. Was this truly real life?
“How long are you going to keep staring?”
She surprised him by reaching over and gently guiding his hand to her breast.
His palm met the soft, pink peak. Both of them shuddered, yet neither moved away.
Thump… thump…
Was that his heart? Hers? Both?
Slowly he cupped her breast, feeling its weight and warmth. It was far larger, far fuller, far softer than he had imagined. Even as he touched her gently, she seemed about to melt into his hands.
He focused entirely on her chest, losing himself in the sensation. The skin was smooth as silk, almost as if it were something otherworldly. The light from the window beyond the glass fractured across it, making it look like a strand of pearls.
“Hik!”
A sudden gasp slipped from her lips as he discovered her nipple.
“S-Sorry. Did it hurt?”
“It did… but keep going. Honestly… it felt good.”
Whether because she truly enjoyed it or because she had realized he had been lost in the moment, he couldn’t tell. He only knew he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so he touched her with infinite care.
Slowly her breath quickened into soft, sweet moans.
The touch of his skin and the sound of her voice entwined until he forgot everything but the goddess in front of him.
After a long time he finally lowered his hands. Rie, breathing hard, looked at him as if to ask whether this was the end.
He had no intention of stopping. He just hesitated, because the next place was the most sacred and private part of any woman.
“Lucian.”
“Mm.”
“Do you… like me?”
The easiest yet hardest question in the world.
She waited in silence, then nodded.
“I… I like you. That’s why I let you touch me like this. It’s embarrassing, but I like it. It makes you look so lost in me. Now it’s your turn. Do you like me? Does this look beautiful to you rather than disgusting?”
Her face, usually so pure and graceful, shone with raw longing. He pulled her into his arms once more, inhaling the faint, sweet scent of her skin and the warmth of her breath against his lips.
Her lips, soft and pink, met his in a kiss filled with sweetness and longing. Though his words failed him, his body answered for him.
Rie showed no trace of disappointment. Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes, as if she had finally received the answer she had wanted most.
“Why are you crying? That only makes me feel worse.”
“Because I’m happy. Now I can finally tell you how I feel.”
She had always been the sharp, cutting edge of a sword, yet right now she looked like any other woman who wanted to be loved and to love.
He shifted again, helping her lie back on the bed, then covered her. The pants she still wore were in the way; he needed to remove them completely to see the last, most hidden place of this angel.
“You can take them off, right?”
He meant to say “take them off,” but the word felt too crude in front of an angel. So he turned the question around and asked as if it were her choice.
Rie hesitated only a moment before nodding, as if she had decided.
She undid the buttons, gripped the hem, took a deep breath, and pulled the pants down in one swift motion.
“Ah…”
An involuntary, foolish moan escaped her. He hadn’t wanted to look like a lecherous man, but Rie’s body was too dangerous for his heart.
Her upper body was perfect, but her lower body was even more so—strong, sculpted thighs from endless training, smooth, elegant calves, and a butt that curved with aristocratic grace, the kind that could have made her the flower of high society.
“What is that foolish moan?”
She laughed softly and reached out to stroke his cheek with surprising tenderness. The warmth of her hand made his racing heart threaten to burst.
He couldn’t hold back any longer. His hand slid down, past her silky skin and flat stomach. She shivered at the touch.
He went lower. Her body stiffened slightly; his own hand trembled. When his fingers finally brushed the edge of her panties, both of them gasped.
“…You can touch me… you can.”
Her whisper felt like a spell. His fingers slipped beneath the fabric.
“Hik…”
The most private place a woman had ever known his touch. Naturally, her body reacted on pure instinct. She tried to close her legs, but he only waited, believing in her.
As if sensing his thought, she took a breath and slowly parted her thighs again.
His fingers slipped inside, and the heat and wetness greeted him. He pressed lightly with his index finger.
“Ahng!”
She startled and tried to close her legs again, but this time she caught herself, cheeks flushed, doing her best to look brave.
He soothed her, tracing slow circles around the spot that had darkened.
“Hik… ah… ahh… hiiik!”
The way her body twisted, embarrassed and overwhelmed, was beautiful beyond words. He continued, using just the right pressure so she could enjoy every second.
“Ahng! Ahn… ahh!!”
At first it was only a small point; now it glistened visibly.
He pressed gently through the fabric and felt the wetness soak through.
Sweet, fragrant, and undeniably lovely.
“How was it? Did it feel good, Rie?”
It was probably rude to ask such a thing, but he needed the answer. Did she truly enjoy it? Could they continue?
Her face, already bright red, nodded slowly. She answered with a soft “Yes” and reached for the waistband of her panties.
“Aah…”
Fear returned to her eyes, but she forced herself to hold still, trusting him completely.
She lay back, eyes open, giving him the permission she wanted him to take. Only then did he finally relax and slowly, carefully pull the last barrier away.
“Rie! Rie Arche von Haniel!!”