The High Priestess Who Fell of Her Own Accord
All the way back to the village, Eruka was in a massive pout. When we first met, she was so incredibly rude that I could never have imagined her acting like this. But after getting a taste of my cock and my scent, she had sweetened up quite a bit.
"You said you'd listen to whatever I said, so why are you throwing a tantrum now?"
"It is not a tantrum...! I am the Captain of the Guard. If the others see me in such a state, my authority..."
"Stop."
I could turn a blind eye to her acting cute, but I couldn't let her challenge my authority. It might have seemed like a playful pout, but in the end, she was basically blaming me for the collapse of her own dignity.
"Mmph...! Mmph!"
"Speak properly."
"Mmmph!!"
Unable to speak with her lips pinched shut, Eruka glared at me with narrowed eyes, trying to mumble something. Eventually, she gave up, clenched her fists, and snapped her head away. My fingers slipped off her plump lips as she turned. Leaving her to pout, I turned around as well.
"Well, I'm off."
"Hmph. Go if you want..."
"Why, you..."
"I-I meant, have a safe trip! And don't you dare do anything funny to my sister!"
"And what exactly counts as 'funny'?"
Blushing furiously, Eruka kicked at the dirt with the toe of her boot and glared at me. She hesitated, unable to find her words, before stealing a glance at me and speaking in a quiet mumble.
"Y-you can only do it to me. Only I can handle your monstrous... c-cock..."
"Is it really okay for you to say things like that out in the open? Hmm?"
"You're so mean...!"
With her face as red as a ripe apple, Eruka repeatedly warned me about Tsuruka before finally turning around to head back to where the guards were gathered. Once I was sure she was gone, I turned back and made my way to Tsuruka's house.
Come to think of it, Undine hadn't returned yet. When I closed my eyes and focused, I could feel her presence. Isn't it a universal rule that a crest or a womb tattoo appears when you form a contract? Amused by my own stray thoughts, I figured I'd have to go look for her if she didn't return soon. Lost in thought, I arrived at Tsuruka's house.
"Excuse me."
The hallways and various rooms were lit. It seemed Tsuruka had returned. I was glad I wouldn't have to go searching for her. I walked down the creaking corridor, looking for her.
"Ah, Lady Tsuruka?"
As I walked down the hallway toward her room, I saw the door wide open and peeked inside. Tsuruka was clutching something on her desk, her head bowed low. At the sound of my voice, she startled and looked up at me.
"Ah..."
Her face was an absolute mess. Her eyes were swollen and drenched in tears, the rims so red it was impossible to tell how long she had been crying. With her golden hair disheveled, her ears drooping pitifully, and a tearful expression on her face, Tsuruka wiped her cheeks with her sleeve and greeted me.
"Have you returned, Benefactor...? I did not even realize... I am so sorry..."
"It's fine. More importantly, did something happen...?"
"No, it is nothing. You may go upstairs now..."
"How can it be nothing when you've been crying your eyes out like this?"
"I told you I am fine...!"
Feeling sorry for her, I took a step closer, only for Tsuruka to suddenly snap at me. It wasn't a loud shout, but since she was always so soft-spoken, her raised voice caught me off guard.
Tsuruka herself seemed startled by her own outburst. Her eyes widened, trembling with emotion, before she shut them tight and flatly asked me to leave.
"I feel a bit dizzy. We shall speak later... Please, go upstairs..."
She wrapped her arms around herself and quietly bowed her head. Looking at her pitiful state, I hesitated, unsure of what to do. But feeling that leaving her like this would be a mistake, I took another step toward her.
"I asked you to leave...!"
At the sound of my persistent footsteps, Tsuruka opened her eyes again, only to find me standing right in front of her. She looked up at me with startled eyes.
"How can I just leave you when you're crying like this?"
Her panicked face slowly crumpled, and her trembling eyes swirled with a chaotic mix of relief, joy, sorrow, and countless other emotions.
"Please, do not concern yourself with me anyway... hic..."
Ultimately, Tsuruka burst into tears once more, hanging her head to hide her face. I reached out, gently cupping her cheek, and forced her to look up.
"Mmm...!"
She tried to shake off my hand in a petulant struggle, but I gently held her face. Her cheeks and the bridge of her nose were flushed red, and the tear tracks staining her face broke my heart. I wiped away her tears with the back of my hand and stroked her hair.
"Stop... hic...! I told you to go upstairs...! You never listen to me... and you don't even care about someone like me anyway..."
"Why wouldn't I care about you? If I didn't, I wouldn't have come here in the first place. Right?"
"But I saw everything... sniff... why... wahhh..."
Tsuruka bared her little fangs as she wailed, sobbing like a child. She looked incredibly adorable crying like that, and though a chuckle threatened to escape, I held it back and continued to soothe her.
"Come on, dry your tears and tell me what's wrong, okay?"
I pulled Tsuruka up from her seat and wrapped her in a gentle embrace. Having a much smaller frame than her sister, she fit perfectly against my chest.
"I didn't... want you to see me like this... hic..."
"Yes, yes... even your crying face is cute. But let's stop crying now, alright?"
"I want to... hic... but it won't stop..."
Clutching my collar, Tsuruka rubbed her cheeks against my chest to wipe her tears, but the waterworks started up again. She buried her face completely in my chest, her shoulders shaking violently.
I held her a little tighter and patted her back. After trembling for a long while, Tsuruka finally looked up at me, her face still painted with sorrow. Even after crying so much, she still looked incredibly sad.
"I wasn't going to say anything... hic... but I kept smelling her scent on you, Benefactor..."
Her drooping fox ears twitched as she spoke, and with another sob, she buried her face back into my chest. Come to think of it, after rolling around with Eruka at the cultivation field, her scent must have been all over me. I had come straight to Tsuruka without even bothering to wash up.
"You were so nice to me... rubbing me like that... it made my heart flutter, and I was looking forward to it..."
Mumbling in broken, hesitant sentences, Tsuruka kept her face hidden out of sheer embarrassment as she continued.
"I peeked to see what you were doing... and you were with her... outside... you two looked so happy together... and before I knew it..."
"So that's why you cried your eyes out? Hmm?"
Was she jealous of her own sister? Finding her pouting incredibly endearing, I pulled her tightly by the waist, leaned down, and whispered in her ear.
"Were you upset because I was getting along so well with Eruka... Lady Tsuruka?"
"Yes... I just felt so miserable all of a sudden. I tried to act like nothing was wrong... but the moment I saw your face..."
"Don't call me Benefactor. Just call me Casano, okay?"
"Heeg... then... me too..."
"You too, what?"
When I teased her, Tsuruka slapped my butt with her drooping tail and gripped my clothes tightly.
"...Call me Tsuruka, too..."
"Tsuruka."
"Heeeg..."
When I whispered her name softly as she wished, Tsuruka shivered. She rubbed her cheek against my chest and clung to me, wrapping her arms even tighter around my waist. The soft sensation of her breasts pressing against me and her warm, sun-like scent felt incredibly pleasant.
"Was it really that painful for you? Seeing me get along with your sister?"
"It's not that..."
"Let me see your face. Come on."
"Ahhh... no... I said no...!"
I cupped the cheeks of the protesting Tsuruka and gently lifted her head. Though she tried to resist, she ultimately looked up, her face half-covered by my hands.
"You've turned into quite the ugly duckling."
"How mean...!"
I gently caressed her swollen, red eyelids with my thumbs and pinched her cheeks. At my teasing, Tsuruka glared at me with mock anger, repeatedly swatting my butt with her tail.
"Well, what you saw... I only did that because I had something to collect from Eruka."
"...Something to collect...?"
"We made a promise."
"May I... ask what kind of promise it was?"
Dropping her archaic, formal tone, Tsuruka sounded like any ordinary girl. I stroked her cheek as she looked up at me inquisitively, and shook my head.
"You'll get mad if I tell you."
"No... I won't..."
"Even after crying this much?"
"Ugh...! That... that was different...!"
I let go of Tsuruka, giving her cheek one last caress. Stepping away from my embrace, she stole a wistful glance at me before quickly averting her eyes and bowing her head again.
"Can you really not tell me...?"
Her voice was completely dejected. Was seeing her sister enjoy an outdoor tryst with me really that shocking to her? I hesitated, but seeing Tsuruka look so utterly defeated with her head bowed, I decided to tell her. Surely she wouldn't start a fight with her sister just because of this, right?
"Actually, Eruka told me yesterday to stay away from her sister."
"Huh...?"
Tsuruka let out a dumbfounded gasp, her jaw dropping. Seeing her completely blindsided expression, I continued.
"She demanded that if I was going to lay a hand on her sister, I should lay a hand on her instead. She practically threw herself at me. That's how things ended up that way."
"No way...!"
Tsuruka's face crumpled. Contrary to my expectations, she actually looked quite angry. Baring her fangs with her tail standing stiffly on end, she stared up at me in utter disbelief.
"Then, perhaps... yesterday as well...?"
"Ah... yes."
"To think she would..."
Tsuruka's expression shifted rapidly through a kaleidoscope of emotions—deep worry, bewilderment, anger, and sorrow. Ultimately, she hung her head low, and another dismissal slipped from her lips.
"My head hurts a little. Thank you for telling me... Lord Casano."
"Tsuruka. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes... I truly have some things to think about... You do not need to worry anymore..."
Her shoulders trembling slightly, Tsuruka sat down and pressed a hand to her forehead. Well, I had done all I could. I turned around and left the room. Before walking out, I stole a glance back at her. She was muttering to herself with her head in her hands, but when our eyes met, she quickly waved a quiet goodbye.
"How could she..."
"Without my permission... doesn't even know..."
"If it's come to this... then..."
I could hear her whispering, but the distance made it impossible to make out the full sentences. Feeling it would be rude to eavesdrop any further, I turned and headed up to my room. Feeling a bit exhausted, I figured I'd rest for a bit before going out to look for Undine. But when I opened my door, someone was already sitting on my bed.
"Ah! Casano! You left me behind!"
"Undine."
Wait, she was already here? Surprised by her sudden presence, I walked over to the bed and playfully pinched her cheeks.
"Seriously, leaving me behind like that—"
"Sorry, sorry. But you flew off on your own first, Undine."
As soon as I let go of her cheeks, she puffed them out and clung to me like a koala. Is she going to cling to me like this from now on? It was pretty adorable.
"I went to learn all sorts of things for your sake, Casano!"
"Learn?"
"Ah—I was going to tell you when I finished everything!"
Looking up at me with a pout, Undine eventually gave up trying to keep it a secret and spilled everything.
"Well, I felt someone calling me, so I went to check it out—and there was a forest spirit right there!"
"So we talked, and she asked who I contracted with since I seemed similar to her, so I told her about you—"
"Is she a bad spirit?"
"We spirits can tell! She's not a bad spirit at all!"
What, did they become best friends already? I shrugged and averted my gaze from her glaring eyes, prompting her to snuggle closer and continue her story.
"When I told her it was my first contract, she said she's staying here after contracting a few times herself. She offered to teach me if there's anything I don't know—"
"And?"
"So since I don't know much, I asked her about contracts, and I'm learning all sorts of things besides the magic I already knew!"
"Oh..."
Seeking out knowledge on her own initiative—how admirable. As I stroked her head in praise, Undine giggled happily and continued to dangle from my neck.
"Anyway, while we're here, I decided to learn magic and various things I can do with my contractor. So keep that in mind!"
"What, are you going to stay there then?"
"Hmm... I'll come see you sometimes—she said there's a lot to learn. It's lonely to be apart, but opportunities like this don't come often, right?"
"Undine, why are you so sweet?"
To think she would consider all of this. Even if Undine seemed naive, she was actually a very thoughtful spirit. Recalling that bastard whose name I couldn't even remember, I felt another wave of gratitude toward her. After acting cute in my arms for a bit, Undine suddenly hopped off and patted the bed.
"I'm going back soon anyway—so you have to lie down and sleep with me today."
"Is learning that exhausting? For a spirit to need sleep?"
"She's a super nice spirit, but sometimes she's really strict—so it's tiring."
"Alright, let's sleep. I'm tired too."
"I bet—after doing dirty things with Eruka."
"Wait, how did you know?"
It wasn't like I was trying to hide it, but how did she find out? As my face stiffened in surprise, Undine stared at me for a second before bursting into giggles and rolling around on the bed.
"It's a se-cret—"
"Haha."
"Ah—you're heavy—"
"You can't even feel weight."
"I can now, okay?!"
Giggling, Undine and I fooled around on the bed for a while before finally pulling up the covers. We chatted warmly until my eyelids grew heavy. Once I fell silent, Undine closed her eyes as well, snuggling into my chest as we drifted off to sleep together.
"...Lord..."
"...Lord?"
"...Are you... sleeping..."
"...Then... excuse... me..."
The rustle of fabric snapped me awake. Sensing a cool chill rather than the warmth of the blanket, I lifted my head to find someone looking down at me. There was a heavy weight pressing on my stomach.
"Ah..."
Somehow, I had been stripped bare, yet I hadn't even woken up while someone straddled my waist. Forcing my blurry eyes to focus, I could finally see clearly who it was.
Draped in a sheer white negligee that left nothing to the imagination, Tsuruka looked down at me with a smile, her golden tail swaying excitedly as she bathed in the bright moonlight filtering through the window. Her red tongue darted out to wet her plump lips before slipping back inside. Her slender fingers traced playful arcs across my chest, tickling my skin.
"You're awake..."
"Tsuruka? What is..."
Before I could fully process the situation, her finger pressed against my lips, silencing me. As Tsuruka slowly leaned down, her negligee parted, revealing the voluptuous curves of her body.
"I contemplated this for a very long time."
"I could not understand why she would say such things..."
"But if I confront her, she will only turn around and demand answers from you, wouldn't she, Casano?"
"Tsuruka..."
"Shh..."
As I reluctantly opened my mouth, Tsuruka pressed her finger to my lips once more. Once I fell silent, she pulled her finger back, placing it against her own lips. With a beautiful, enchanting smile, she spoke.
"In that case, I simply have to be the one to approach you first."
"That way, she won't be able to stop us anymore..."
"Now... the night is long, you know?"
Tsuruka smiled seductively, her tail swaying. Her gaze, a mix of innocent devotion and sultry allure, rippled with deep affection. Staring up at Tsuruka as she glowed under the moonlight, I finally reached out to her, a smile spreading across my face.