Please, Master...
Please, Master...
The bright morning sunlight woke me again today, just as it always did.
Though calling it "waking" was a stretch—I had already been awake for some time.
"Mom... are you okay...?"
Mari was nestled in my arms, looking up at me with worry.
Maybe my face really did look that bad.
Well, of course it did. I had barely slept at all last night.
My body, still burning hot, refused to cool down easily. Even after the heat finally subsided a little, a sticky, restless feeling lingered and kept me from drifting off.
Thanks to that, I had essentially pulled an all-nighter...
"Mm... I just didn't sleep very well, that's all..."
"...."
Grit—
With a look of pure frustration, Mari shot a sharp glare toward Athena.
"Why are you even here..."
This was supposed to be Mom and Mari's space alone.
"Good morning, Hera."
Peck—
But Athena paid Mari's glare no mind whatsoever. She simply leaned in and pressed a light kiss to my lips.
"M-mm... good morning..."
When I returned the greeting, Athena gazed at me with a gentle smile.
I found myself staring blankly at her for a moment.
Thump—thump—
Why am I like this...?
It was the same kind of kiss we always shared. Yet somehow it felt different this time—soft, lingering, and strangely sweet.
"Nngh...!"
As if something about that didn't sit right with her, Mari hugged me even tighter and burrowed deeper into my arms.
"Mom... me too..."
She rubbed against me, staring up with those big, sparkling eyes.
I gave her a small smile and did exactly as she wanted.
—Peck.
I pressed a light kiss to her cheek.
"Hera. You've got something on your mouth."
Athena brushed a crumb of cookie from the corner of my lips with her finger.
The sensation from last night flashed through me unbidden, and my body gave a sudden little shudder.
"Th-thank you..."
"Don't mention it."
When she offered me that warm smile, my heart began to beat softly all over again.
Right now we were in the mansion garden, sharing tea and sweets.
Athena had no separate duties today and said she could spend the entire day with me. So, following her suggestion, I had come out to the garden.
"It's so much more peaceful without that little brat around."
"Calling her a brat..."
Mari had spotted the flowers blooming brightly throughout the garden and dashed off somewhere, declaring she would make me a flower crown.
And just like that, the two of us were left alone at the table.
Athena took a quiet sip of her tea, and I followed suit, lifting my own cup.
A calm, clean flavor of black tea slid down my throat.
Once my thirst was quenched, my hand naturally drifted toward the sweet cookies in front of me.
I had never particularly cared for this kind of aristocratic lifestyle, but spending special time like this with Athena filled me with quiet joy.
"By the way, Hera. You look exhausted. Did you not sleep well?"
She looked at me with a puzzled expression.
That innocent face of hers, as if she truly had no idea, made a tiny spark of indignation rise in my chest.
"....Tsk."
.....And whose fault do you think that is.
Did she even realize that her teasing touches last night had left my body so worked up I hadn't slept a wink?
She probably didn't. That was why she could ask something like that so casually.
I let out a soft sigh and took another sip of tea.
Am I... a pervert.....
The body Athena had left aching still wanted something. It kept tormenting me little by little.
What it wanted was probably pleasure.
It was craving that enormous wave of ecstasy Athena had given me before.
...When had it started?
Until recently, I hadn't felt any particular desire for pleasure at all.
But ever since I began spending time with Athena, my body seemed to be changing bit by bit.
Before, I had only wanted her attention.
Now I wanted her to claim me roughly.
I wanted her to press down hard on my stomach again so I could feel that pleasure once more.
I wanted her to kiss me so fiercely I couldn't think of anything else...
Shiver—
Goosebumps rose along my skin at how filthy my own thoughts had become.
I-I've lost it, Hera...!
What kind of fantasies was I having? I wasn't some pervert.
It had to be this lingering heat still clinging to my body that was making me imagine such lewd things.
"What's wrong, Hera? Are you feeling unwell?"
Athena rested a worried hand against my forehead.
The warmth of her touch brought a faint flush to my cheeks.
"Nnh..."
Thump—thump—
Looking at her made my heart race all over again.
This was strange.
I was definitely acting strange right now.
Wanting her to take me. Feeling my heart pound violently every time I looked at Athena. This version of myself was no different from seeing her as a sexual object.
Get a grip, Hera.
The way she touched my body like this was just her hobby—she enjoyed showing affection. It absolutely wasn't because she saw me as a romantic interest.
In the first place, in the world of The Indomitable Hero, the only character written as a lesbian was the Saintess.
This world was simply lenient about physical affection between women. That was why she spent time with me like this. There was no deeper meaning.
Of course, calling it "affection between women" felt a little thin when we had shared kisses so good they made my mind go blank...
And when she had groped and kneaded my entire body...
And when I had licked every inch of her skin with my tongue...
And various other things besides....
"....."
....It was fine because we were both women, right...?
Ever since Lily had given me all sorts of "education," I had never once questioned that idea.
But thinking about it again now...
The traces Athena and I had left on each other were far too lewd to pass as ordinary same-sex affection.
Back in Korea, even actual couples would have hesitated to do things that intimate.
No matter how different this world was, the gap in common sense felt enormous.
I glanced up at Athena.
"What is it?"
She looked back at me with a pure, untroubled expression.
Yeah. It was probably just my imagination.
There was still so much I didn't understand about this world's norms.
Clinging to the common sense I had carried from Korea was probably a bad idea.
I shook off the messy thoughts cluttering my head and spent the rest of the time with Athena and with Mari, who came running back with a pretty flower crown she had woven for me.
Yeah. There's no way.
As if Athena would ever see me as a romantic interest...?
.....
Ah... there's no way... right...?
"Hnn... haahng..."
Athena's fingers lightly tickled across my stomach.
Those same teasing, feather-light touches as yesterday made my body flare up like fire all over again.
The sensation she gave me wasn't unpleasant—but it was desperately, unbearably incomplete.
"H-hnn..."
Rustle—rustle—
The soft sound of her hand brushing over my skin filled the room again and again.
I felt like I was going insane.
Her hands sweeping over my entire body like feathers were going to drive me completely mad.
I wanted her to touch me harder—just a little harder—
But she only kept grazing me lightly, as if declaring she would go no further.
"A-Athenaaa.... j-just a little harder... pleaseee..."
I couldn't take it anymore. Swallowing my shame, I finally begged her to touch me more firmly.
My face burned with embarrassment, but if this continued any longer I really felt like I would lose my mind.
Even so, Athena only shook her head at my desperate plea.
"No, Hera. You weren't feeling well today."
Her firm refusal made anger surge up inside me.
That's because of you, damn it...!!!
I wanted to shout it, but the moment she began gently tormenting my thigh, my words melted into a moan and spilled from my lips.
"Hnn... haahng...!"
"That's enough for today."
She undid the restraints, and my hands were free once more.
As if she had finished what she came for, Athena rose from the bed and started walking toward the door.
"....Huh?"
I stared blankly after her.
"Let's go to sleep, Hera."
"......"
She told me to follow, but I couldn't bring myself to leave the bed.
Again...?
She was ending it like this again?
After working my body up until it was burning like this...?
I was definitely going to spend another sleepless night.
My body was even hotter than yesterday.
I felt like I would go crazy if I didn't find some way to relieve this heat.
I didn't want to go back to my room like this.
I scrambled after Athena, caught her hand, and looked up at her with a pleading expression.
"C-can't you do just a little more...?"
For a split second I thought I saw a smile on her back.
But when she turned to face me, her expression held only tiredness.
"Do what, exactly?"
I couldn't answer right away. Even I didn't fully understand what my body was craving.
After opening and closing my mouth for a long while, I finally managed to speak.
"Th-that thing you did last time..."
"What thing last time?"
"Uuu..."
The way she kept making me repeat myself felt strangely spiteful.
She couldn't possibly know and still be doing this on purpose... right?
I ducked my flaming-red face and mumbled in a voice so small it barely crawled out.
"M-my stomach... press it..."
"I can't hear you, Hera."
"My stomach...! Press it like last timeee..."
Athena listened, then simply stared at me in silence for a long moment.
"Is that how you ask your Master for something?"
"Huh...?"
She lifted my chin with one finger until our eyes met.
"Hera. I told you before. The only thing you're allowed to do with me is ask—not command."
"A-Athena..."
"I'm tired right now. So if you truly want it, then beg properly—politely enough to change my mind."
Her demand that I beg like a proper slave left my thoughts in chaos.
The words could easily have sounded humiliating.
I found myself unable to say anything at all.
Silence stretched between us for a while.
"If you don't want to, then hurry up and let's go to sleep."
Athena turned her back again and started walking.
"W-wait..."
As she headed for the door, panic clawed at my chest.
I didn't want to spend another night wide awake in this state like yesterday.
I hurriedly grabbed her hand again.
Athena turned once more to look at me.
It was mortifying beyond words.
Even so, I wanted this craving satisfied.
Hadn't I already decided to become her slave?
Something like this shouldn't be a problem at all.
I squeezed my eyes shut once, then lifted my own clothes and bared my stomach to her.
Both cheeks burned scarlet with shame, but I forced myself to open my eyes and deliver my desperate plea.
"P-please, Master..."
"L-like last time... press down on it really hard....."
A wide, delighted smile spread across Athena's face.