2. <em>The White Knight's 49 Shadows</em>

The word overprotection was inseparable from Kiara de Montr's life.

Her mother's last child. The family's only daughter. The baby of the house.

All those titles thrust upon her from birth had shielded her.

"Miss, you'll get hurt."

There came a moment when she was sick of hearing it over and over.

It wasn't strange that she wanted to rebel against the overprotectiveness surrounding her.

So Kiara decided to go astray.

She belittled people to their faces, spouted humiliating remarks, and grated on their nerves.

But it was just hard to strip away the masks of others, as she'd imagined.

Maids. Butlers. Brothers. Father.

Even her fiancé, a country bumpkin whose visits to the capital were questionable.

Everyone just groveled before her.

Then, a certain book was given to such a Kiara.

"The White Knight's 49 Shadows…?"

She knew it was a story trending in high society.

She'd overheard the young ladies at the salon chattering about a character called the White Knight.

How captivating could it be to make people go so wild?

A trivial curiosity drew her in.

"……."

The opening was like any other novel.

But after that, the maniacal play driven by the White Knight's coercive demeanor.

A frank parade of desires utterly unlike the basic copulation methods from simple sex education.

"Wh-what is this…."

Ventings of lust she'd never even heard of shook her to the core.

And for a young lady plotting ways to rebel, it presented a thrilling method of deviance.

The thrill of taboo.

For Kiara, that feeling alone drove her deviance.

Of course, she had no desire to show her naked body to anyone.

She knew full well that a lady baring herself to others was shameful.

But secretly committing a vulgar act that no one else would dream of.

And in a space accessible to everyone at other times, secretly going astray.

Imagining that depraved pleasure had addicted her before she knew it.

"……."

The first time was a midnight hallway she thought empty.

Then the pitch-dark dining hall.

Each time she deviated in everyday places, her brain craved the extraordinary.

And the day she strolled naked through her home's garden.

After that, Kiara's eyes constantly sought spaces to vent her lust.

If she found grounds to believe no one was around, she'd act every night.

She even prepared an escape if caught.

The artifact collar.

Rip it off in a panic, and it flashes to activate.

Without exception, it erases the last 10 seconds of memory for all living beings in a 5-meter radius and teleports the wearer to a designated safe spot.

Originally made for securing pets' safety the instant war or disaster struck.

Too many nobles had died fretting over their pets, so the idea was to forget and flee immediately.

For Kiara, who hated exposing herself while naked or leaving memories of it, it was perfect.

She just hadn't activated it once amid her escalating deviance, never facing a crisis.

She believed her thorough reconnaissance kept her undiscovered….

But the more certain she grew of not being caught, the bolder she became.

And today, she'd planned the biggest deviance she'd never even considered before.

"…Did I get something on me?"

Kiara faced with her own eyes the novel's protagonist who'd ravaged her mind.

At first, she'd thoughtlessly agreed with the salon ladies saying they'd dress their fiancés like him.

So she'd casually ordered the white uniform.

But her fiancé Adrian suited it too perfectly.

The White Knight she'd imagined while reading didn't even compare.

It felt like the character had Adrian's face from the start.

"Haa…."

From that point, alarm bells rang in the head of Kiara, who'd only enjoyed the thrill of potential ruin.

Her deviance had thrived on never being caught.

If exposed now, she couldn't show her face in society, let alone official imperial events.

That's why she'd prepared the artifact.

But what if she was caught?

By no one else, but this man who seemed sprung from her fantasies, the one who'd wrecked her mind?

It might be irreversible.

Maybe she'd surrender in an instant, artifact be damned, without even thinking to flee.

From then on, she might not distinguish deviance from daily life.

That vague fear was why she'd begged her fiancé to sleep soundly and not wake late.

If caught, she might lose her reason.

Whether she'd fallen for the character White Knight or truly for her fiancé, even Kiara didn't know.

She wasn't versed enough in herself to be sure of liking someone.

But unluckily, even during the day in the adult ceremony period when the garden ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠depths should be empty.

"…Kiara?"

Kiara's outdoor exhibitionism fetish, hidden from everyone, was exposed to her fiancé.

To the fiancé who looked just like the character that had drawn her into this perverse kink even at night.

Snap—

I yanked the collar taut.

Glancing at Kiara, who hesitated before finally following, I strode ahead.

"A-Adrian. Slower…."

"Shut up."

"Eut…."

"Parading naked like a pervert where anyone could come. What's so embarrassing now?"

"…."

Kiara stared at me, lips sealed.

She gripped the tugged collar but made no move to remove it.

She could detach the ring linking choker and leash to flee, yet….

She was enjoying it.

"One after another, all obsessed with that damn White Knight."

"…."

"Kiara. You thought I hadn't read it, so you dressed me like this?"

"…N-no, that's…."

"Then what. Speak."

"…Sorry."

I was about to tug again at her non-response when she dropped to her knees.

"What's so sorry?"

"Making you wear the White Knight's clothes…."

"That's all?"

"…Insulting you for not knowing trends?"

"End?"

"Treating you so cruelly usually… hngt!"

I lowered my stance slightly and yanked the collar.

"Kiara."

"…Y-yes?"

"That's not what I mean."

"……."

Squeeze….

The harder I pulled, the more her eyes welled up.

Not pain, but fear of the situation?

Oddly, her lips twitched upward on their own, like something terrified her.

"Is that how you apologize?"

"……."

"Answer."

"N-nooo…."

"Then?"

"……."

Slap!

I struck her dazed, unresponsive cheek.

The sound was louder than expected; I panicked a bit after.

What if she yelped in pain?

"Eut…."

But Kiara, clutching her cheek, no longer hid her smile.

Worried for nothing.

"You learned from the book. How to apologize properly."

Kiara hesitated.

As I slowly raised the hand that slapped her, she fidgeted into motion.

Then, still kneeling, she lowered further.

I recalled her actions, dredging up the memory.

Kiara's hands on the ground clasped demurely.

She slowly lowered her forehead to the floor, pressing it atop her neatly folded hands.

"S-sorry……."

"…."

"F-for being nice to me……I wanted to rebel……."

"…Ha."

"For atonement……I'll gladly take any punishment……."

Obvious in hindsight.

If I'd meant to punish her, I shouldn't have done this.

"My body……do whatever you want with it……."

Her mind was already broken; outdoor exhibitionism was Kiara's style anyway.

This was just a reward.

Thud—

Then, my heightened senses caught footsteps.

"…!"

From behind. Someone might enter the garden depths in seconds.

I scooped up Kiara, who was lost in lust, muttering incoherently.

"…Eh? Wha-mmph—"

Covering her mouth, I dove into the bushes.

My trained landing kept the noise down.

Though landing on my back sandwiched naked Kiara atop me.

"…Eut. What are you—"

She still hadn't grasped it, opening her mouth again.

I yanked her head back before she could.

Thud—

The footsteps from seconds ago were now perilously close.

"You have something to say."

"Ah, yes. Well…. Couldn't sleep in the dead of night…."

"And you had to come to the garden."

"……I didn't want to be seen by others."

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The steps drew deeper into the garden.

A nameless young lord and lady.

Engaged, perhaps.

I just watched from the bushes.

Hugging squirming Kiara tight to still her.

"The mood's nice, isn't it."

"Yes. It was."

"So, um…. Coming to the garden to—"

"Ferdinand."

"Yes, my lady."

"No matter how fun the book was, acting it out is another matter."

"……."

Kiara kept twitching.

I wanted to stifle her quickening breaths.

But she seemed to hate being caught too; her squirms lessened a bit.

"You know what our relationship is."

"…Yes. I do."

"With separate fiancés already, this is a big deal."

Brr….

Kiara's twitching intensified.

She clenched her fists to endure, but the hand on my side nearly made me scream.

Can't you hold it together a little?

I swallowed the urge to ask, holding back tears.

"…Above all."

The adulterous lady's gaze scanned the garden depths, then back to the lord.

"Looks like someone's already here. In this spot."

"…Pardon?"

"Great spot—mood, quiet—but I don't want to do anything where someone's tossed their clothes."

Click.

The lady's heels retraced her steps.

"No, my lady? That wasn't my intent!"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Wait, calm down and talk…."

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Felt like I'd overheard a massive scandal in moments.

Was I wired more for trashy drama than smut?

Dopamine filled to bursting.

No desire to resume what we'd been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠doing.

"Haa…."

Kiara, who'd held her breath, exhaled raggedly.

She stopped pinching my side to stifle her twitches.

My hand restraining her slipped away, limp.

Though nothing held her now.

Yet Kiara stayed atop me.

"…Why'd you do that?"

At some point, she spoke.

"Do what?"

"…Why hide with me, hugging me."

Kiara slowly lifted her head.

"……What."

Our eyes met; I stared, then snickered.

"You pretending not to know?"

"…Yes?"

If alone, I'd have pushed boundaries.

But with others around? Different story.

"I don't want to show my naked fiancée to others."

"……."

"…Well, a Kiara stripping here to show off might differ—"

"N-no, that's not it?"

"Then why are you?"

"Th-that…."

Kiara, at a loss.

Breathing heavily, she slowly bowed her head, confidence gone.

"……Just, felt free."

"…Pardon?"

"I don't know."

Thump—

Her fist harmlessly hit my chest.

"You think I'm doing this to show someone my body?"

"Not?"

"…No."

"Then why…."

"Anyway, no!"

"Why get so mad."

She'd been enjoying it fine earlier.

"……Don't know."

Drained of resistance, Kiara slumped atop me.

Her heartbeat raced against my right chest.

"…Adrian."

"Yes."

"……My clothes are in the garden shrubs over there."

Her vague directions pinpointed it.

Where the adulterous lady had looked.

"Get them for me."

"…."

I held back the teasing that she could herself.

Silently rising, I went after she slid off.

Picked up the clothes at the spot, eyed them.

Pajamas.

Buttons on the back, but easier than a dress.

Smoothed the wrinkles, returned to find Kiara hugging my uniform jacket, waiting.

In her hand, the collar still meekly removed from her neck.

"……."

Wordlessly, we exchanged clothes.

What awkwardness after seeing her naked? Still, I turned away, fussing with my uniform.

"Adrian."

"Yes."

"…Button the back?"

After she shrugged into mine, I fastened her back buttons at her request.

Normally, no thoughts on undergarmentless pajamas.

But her naked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠form in the moonlight made it tricky.

"…Done."

"……."

Kiara rose silently.

As I followed—

Suddenly, she hooked my arm; I said nothing.

"Kiara."

"…Yes?"

"You know wandering out in just pajamas is weird, right?"

"……."

"…What if someone else caught you, not me."

"…This is an artifact."

"That collar?"

"Yeah. Rip it off, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and it erases memories and lets you escape…."

"You didn't rip it."

"That's…."

Kiara trailed off briefly.

Lips pursed, she murmured softly.

"…Thanks."

"Just don't do it again. Got it?"

"……."

"…Or only do it in front of me."

"…Huh?"

"Want me to repeat?"

"N-no, not that…."

Her eyes quivered; she whipped her head away.

"…Don't say that dressed like this."

…How much did she love that book for her ears to burn so red.

I wouldn't know.