Chapter 161: The Succubus Queen (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: The Succubus Queen (3)
“Frillite, are you really okay with how things are?”
Isabelle approached Frillite during her morning training. To Frillite, Isabelle was merely an acquaintance, a stranger she knew only by face, so she was slightly taken aback by the sudden conversation.
“Okay with what? What are you talking about?”
“Your relationship with Cloud, that man.”
“My relationship with Cloud?”
Frillite tilted her head. This woman, Isabelle, was clearly the partner of the young man named Mars. Why would she bring up Frillite’s relationship with Cloud?
Seeing Frillite’s confusion, Isabelle sighed as if she had expected as much.
“Look at you, so naive. You really don’t know anything, do you?”
“...?”
“Frillite. What do you think of him?”
“What do I think of Cloud?”
In that instant, memories of her time with Cloud flashed through Frillite’s mind.
There were many, but the one that stood out most vividly was the memory of that night.
Cloud had told her.
That he would share the heavy burden of responsibility that weighed her down.
The memory of his bright smile under the moonlight brought a flush to Frillite’s cheeks.
Seeing her reaction, Isabelle’s eyes narrowed.
“...I don’t even need to ask. Still, for someone like you, what are you missing that you’d go for a guy like—”
“Do not speak carelessly of Cloud.”
The blush on her face vanished, replaced by an icy expression. The air grew heavy, and Isabelle swallowed hard, backing down.
“...Alright. I get it, so don't give me that look. It’s scary.”
“Ah... I apologize. My expression hardened without me realizing. But what was your intention in asking such a question? I haven’t received an answer for that.”
Frillite asked, touching her own stiff lips.
“I just feel sorry for you.”
“Sorry? For me?”
Frillite found herself even more unable to comprehend Isabelle’s thoughts. Sorry for her? What reason could Isabelle possibly have to feel sorry for her?
However, Isabelle’s next words made even her flinch.
“Because unrequited love is hard. I was thinking of helping if I could, but I’m sorry if I was being nosy.”
Isabelle bowed her head in apology, then turned to walk away. Frillite, who had been frozen stiff, snapped out of it and quickly grabbed Isabelle’s shoulder.
“Un-unrequited love! What kind of absurd nonsense is that? Cloud and I have promised to be—”
Frillite stopped mid-sentence, clapping a hand over her mouth. In her anger, she had said more than she needed to. Her eyes darted to Isabelle’s face to gauge her reaction.
“Marriage? Now that’s something I haven’t heard before.”
As expected, Isabelle’s eyes were wide with surprise.
“Frillite, you’re going to marry Cloud?”
“...”
After a moment of silence, Frillite sighed.
She couldn’t take back the words she’d already spoken. Besides, it wasn’t exactly a huge secret, was it?
She told Isabelle everything.
After hearing the whole story, Isabelle clicked her tongue.
“Then that’s an even bigger problem.”
“...Even after hearing all that, you’re still talking about unrequited love?”
“What can I say? The way Cloud looks at you isn’t the way a man looks at a woman.”
Frillite cocked her head, a gesture of complete incomprehension. Isabelle decided to explain it more simply so that even the dense Frillite could understand.
“It wasn’t the look of a male looking at a female.”
“A female?!”
Startled, Frillite whipped her head around, scanning their surroundings. After confirming no one was nearby, she spoke in a chiding tone.
“Isabelle. An unmarried maiden such as yourself should not use such vulgar language.”
“Frillite, are you even listening to me? I’m telling you, Cloud doesn’t see you as a woman! He doesn’t see you as a female!”
When her advice had no effect, Frillite frowned.
“Enough. That’s far enough. You keep calling me a female. I can’t listen to any more of this. If that’s all you have to say, then you may leave.”
Frillite snapped and turned her back. As she started to walk away to finish her training, Isabelle casually threw out a single sentence.
“Cloud, that man, he’s very popular with women.”
Flinch.
Frillite’s steps halted.
“You know that too, don’t you?”
Isabelle began to walk toward Frillite.
“He’s got a handsome face, after all. I have Mars, so I don’t even look at other men, but do you think other women are the same?”
One step.
“I don’t think so.”
Another step.
“You’ve seen the companions he’s gathered, right? They’re all women. And quite beautiful, at that. Not as much as you, of course, but they each have their own charms. There isn’t a man they couldn’t seduce if they set their minds to it. But do you know what?”
Another step.
“Those beautiful women are always staring at him with such an intense gaze. It was so affectionate, I thought honey was going to drip from their eyes.”
Finally reaching Frillite’s back, Isabelle whispered into her ear.
“Are you confident you can protect him?”
Remembering how Cloud’s chastity had been taken by some unknown woman, Frillite’s eyes trembled.
.
.
.
.
.
.
That had happened yesterday morning.
—The first thing you need to do is make him realize that you are a woman before you are a knight.
Isabelle had proposed a rather drastic measure to imprint Frillite’s femininity onto Cloud.
—You said you’re sparring at the festival tomorrow, right? Use the excuse that you’re sweaty and go into the bathhouse with him!
—The bath...?! Th-that’s too....
—What are you so shy about? You’re going to marry him anyway.
—But we’re not married yet...
—This is no time to be weighing your options! It’s much better to kick your blankets in embarrassment later than to lose him and regret it. Don’t you agree?
—U-uhm...
In the end, Frillite had accepted Isabelle’s proposal, and this was the result.
Here she was, trembling, trying to cover her body with her arms.
If one could die from embarrassment, she would have been dead long ago.
Frillite squeezed her eyes shut.
‘...I have to go.’
She felt like she could die of shame at any moment, but what was done was done.
Since it had come to this, she had to achieve her goal.
‘It’s just a bath. A simple matter of getting into the tub together.’
Steeling her resolve, she lifted her bowed head. Just as she summoned her courage to step forward...
“W-wait! Don’t come any closer!”
Cloud waved his hands frantically, shouting in a rush. Frillite froze, her eyes widening. A bitter expression soon crossed her face.
“You don’t want to... I suppose you were the one who seriously considered adopting me.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t want to...”
Cloud scratched his head, looking awkward.
“I have to cover up, too. I’m completely naked right now.”
“Huh? Ah...”
Understanding Cloud’s meaning, Frillite’s face slowly turned as red as a ripe persimmon.
“H-haah...”
Unable to bear the shame, she covered her face with her hands and sank to the floor.
*
About five minutes after Frillite entered the bathhouse, Isabelle slipped into the changing room and rummaged through Cloud’s clothes.
She felt a sense of shame for stooping to this, but she had no choice.
Cloud never let the branch of the World Tree leave his side.
She had considered sneaking a look while he was asleep, but she gave up after seeing that strange woman who could enter shadows.
So, she had aimed for this festival period, which the Succubus Queen had made the lord organize.
Right now, Cloud was distracted by Frillite, and that shadow woman was busy enjoying the festival.
In other words, there was no one here to interfere with Isabelle.
‘Found it...!’
Picking up the smooth tree branch, Isabelle left the changing room.
Now, all she had to do was head to where the Succubus Queen was waiting.
Isabelle ran down the corridor.
On her way out of the castle, she ran into a man.
‘Mars?!’
Of all times...!
Isabelle hid the branch of the World Tree behind her back so Mars wouldn’t see it. Acting nonchalant, she put on her usual smile.
“Mars! Where are you headed?”
“Huh? Oh... I was just going back to my room. You?”
“I was just heading out for a bit. I’m supposed to meet Frillite outside.”
“You two got close already? That’s amazing.”
“Yeah. Hey, Mars, after I’m done with Frillite, do you want to meet up outside? We could enjoy the festival together, just the two of us, it’s been a while...”
Her voice began to fill with a slight excitement.
“Sorry. I’m tired today.”
Mars cut her off.
“Have fun at the festival.”
He gave her a smile and continued on his way.
Isabelle stared blankly at his retreating back.
“It’s okay. Just a little more.”
She muttered something no one else would understand and started running again.
“...”
Mars looked back.
He stared for a moment at the empty space where Isabelle had been, then returned to his room.
Click.
The moment the door locked, he slid down against it, slumping to the floor.
“I’m such a fucking idiot...”
Either hold on or push away.
A pathetic fool who couldn’t even choose between two simple options and just acted half-assed.
“Dammit...”
Mars muttered weakly.