Coup (4)
The morning began once again.
"Kyaaah…!!"
The moment she opened her eyes, Iren let out a girlish scream and rolled across the bed, clutching her pillow tightly. The events of yesterday refused to leave her mind, replaying even in her dreams.
While teaching Jaymer swordsmanship, he had lost his footing and started to fall. With the lightning-fast reflexes of a Sword Master, Iren had snatched his hand. But she couldn't stop Jaymer once gravity had already taken hold. Was his falling momentum simply too strong? Or had Iren instinctively seen it as an opportunity?
Even with a Sword Master's strength, she couldn't halt his descent.
Thud!
And then… their lips met.
It was an accident that lasted only an instant. Yet even that fleeting mistake felt like an eternity to Iren, thanks to her heightened Sword Master senses. In the time it would take an ordinary person to even register the shock, she had already pulled her lips away and stared into his eyes.
Those trembling pupils, wide with panic. They were so unbearably cute that she had nearly given in to the urge to pull him into her arms right then and there.
Squish. Squish.
"Um… Lady Iren. C-could you… get off me, please?"
"Ah… S-sorry."
Like a beast marking her territory, Iren had been eagerly rubbing her massive breasts against Jaymer's chest. Only after his careful request did she finally climb off him.
The sword training that followed had been strangely awkward.
"What am I going to do… Haa…"
Just remembering it made her stomach burn with heat all over again.
"Leona. That… servant of yours named Jaymer…"
"What is it?"
"I rather like him. Would you consider handing him over to me? I'll pay you handsomely for him."
I'm sorry, Jaymer.
It felt awful, like she was trying to buy him with money, but she had no choice. Servants were slaves. Slaves were treated like property. While freedom was technically possible, it was impossible unless their master was a kind person.
That was why Iren had decided to buy Jaymer from Leona first. As for freeing him…
I-If I set him free, he might end up in danger… Yeah! That's it!
Of course, Iren had no intention of actually freeing him. Maybe she'd think about it once she and Jaymer had a child together someday.
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Why not?"
"Why? Because an outstanding servant like him cannot be given a price."
A price?
Iren's eyes narrowed at Leona's words. Seeing her reaction, Leona gave a sly smile and continued.
"Well, if you really want him, I could lend him to you. He is quite the exceptional servant, after all."
"…No thank you."
Iren bit her lower lip and turned toward Ertea. Soon enough, Leona's true lord would be Ertea rather than Wellington. Even Leona wouldn't be able to ignore her lord's commands. Iren planned to demand Jaymer as her reward once the matter was settled and she provided her assistance.
"Jaymer? Sir Leona only keeps maids, as far as I know?"
"…"
But when Ertea acted as if she had no idea who Jaymer was, Iren fell silent.
You're hiding him that much?
Just how valuable was this servant that even Ertea would pretend he didn't exist…? It was suspicious enough to raise all sorts of doubts, yet Iren didn't suspect a thing. He truly was that outstanding a servant. It only made sense that they would fear losing him to another female.
Damn it…
Though they were both Sword Masters, Iren had always looked down on Leona just a little. After all, Leona was an orphan who had caught the eye of a lord's wife, joined the knight order by sheer luck, and become a knight without ever mastering proper swordsmanship. In contrast, Iren had been born into a count's family, received every possible education, and even learned her house's secret sword techniques.
There had never been any reason for her to feel inferior to Leona, whose skills were inferior even to other Sword Masters of the same rank.
But the existence of this servant named Jaymer had, for the first time, made Iren wish she could become Leona.
*
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The sword training resumed again that evening. Though she was happy to see Jaymer, Iren's expression remained somewhat dark because he was, after all, Leona's servant. She was even angry at the fact that no matter how hard he trained and became an Aura User, he could never become a knight.
She had told him before that even someone of the lowest birth could become a knight, but… Seeing how Ertea hid Jaymer's existence, it was clear Leona would continue treating him as nothing more than a servant even if he reached the level of an Aura User.
Perhaps that was why—
"I told you to put more strength there!"
Hup!
Before she knew it, Iren had snapped at Jaymer and immediately clapped both hands over her mouth. It wasn't his fault. Why was she taking her anger out on him?
I'm pathetic. Truly.
Since she couldn't fight Leona, she was venting her frustration on powerless Jaymer instead. Iren felt utterly ashamed of herself.
"That's enough. We'll stop here for today."
"Thank you for guiding me."
"Yeah."
And so the day's training came to an end. It was time to part ways. Iren didn't want to leave him, but… she had no choice. The world he lived in and the world she lived in were completely different. If she kept him any longer and someone else noticed… it would be Jaymer who suffered the consequences.
"Um… Lady Iren."
"What is it?"
Jaymer's words stopped her as she tried to leave.
"If I failed to keep up with today's training and caused you discomfort, I'm truly sorry."
"…"
Iren felt like she might cry. Why had she gotten angry at such a kind man? To realize his own shortcomings and apologize for them… No… He wasn't the one who was lacking. She was.
"It's nothing. I just… had a difficult day, so I snapped without meaning to. You're doing well."
Having realized the truth, Iren awkwardly waved her hands and comforted the dejected young man, telling him it was fine.
"I see. If it's not too much trouble, may I help relieve your fatigue, Lady Iren?"
"Eek?! Wha—!"
At Jaymer's sudden suggestion, Iren let out a strange noise without thinking.
"Lady Leona always calls me after grueling training sessions to give her a massage. She praises it as the best massage she's ever had, so I'm sure it would help ease your exhaustion as well."
"I-I see… W-would you… be willing to do it for me?"
"Of course. I've been worried about how to repay you for all your teachings, so I'm glad I can be of help like this."
"Then I'll come to your room secretly late tonight after you've bathed."
"R-right."
Before she knew it, Iren had agreed to the massage.
"B-bath salts…!"
The moment she entered her room, Iren filled the tub and searched for the bath salts she normally never used. She had always thought simply washing away the sweat was enough, but not today. Her body absolutely had to smell fragrant.
The tub was filled with red flower petals. She scrubbed every inch of her body cleaner than she ever had before. She couldn't even count how many times she lathered herself with the highest-grade, rose-scented soap that cost several gold coins per bar.
After thoroughly cleansing herself, she put on a bathrobe she had never worn before.
"Ah! Underwear! I need underwear!"
She immediately went looking for underwear. Having received massages before, Iren knew that one had to remove all clothing for a proper massage. In the past she had received them from women, so being naked had felt natural. But this was different. Since it would be from a man named Jaymer, she at least needed to keep her underwear on.
"D-damn it…"
No matter which pair she looked at, none of them seemed pretty enough. The image of the underwear Lady Lumina had once worn—the kind that exposed the cleft of her buttocks—flashed through Iren's mind. Why hadn't she bought something like that back then?! She regretted it deeply, but there was nothing she could do now.
After putting on her chosen underwear and bathrobe, Iren waited. A long time passed before Jaymer finally opened the door and entered. Iren tried her best to appear calm.
"You've come."
"Yes. It seems you've received massages before, Lady Iren."
Seeing her already prepared, Jaymer immediately realized she had experience with massages.
"That's right. I'm n-not embarrassed at all. Y-you can t-touch… me anywhere!"
After removing her bathrobe and lying face-down on the bed, Iren maintained a poker face despite her stuttering, insisting she wasn't embarrassed.
"Understood. Then…"
Swoosh. Glug glug.
"Eek?! W-what is that?"
"It's oil."
"Oil…?"
"It helps relax the muscles during a massage."
"I-I see."
Iren nodded. In truth, she barely remembered what Jaymer had said.
A man is on my ass…
Normally a massage involved pressing on the waist from the side, yet for some reason Jaymer had climbed on top of her buttocks. The sight of him straddling her like a male mounting a female made Iren want to say something. After all, as a beastkin, she didn't want to be pinned down by someone weaker than herself.
"Get o—"
"Then I'll begin."
Press…
"Mmph!"
"Did that hurt?"
But before Iren could speak, the sensation of his oil-slicked hands pressing into the small of her back made her unconsciously let out a heated moan.
"N-no, it's not that… On my back…"
Press. Press.
"Hik! Nngh!"
"Hm? Is it uncomfortable?"
"N-no. C-continue."
She tried to speak again, but every time his hands kneaded firmly into her lower back, the moans that escaped made it impossible to form words.
It feels good…
Moreover, even though a man weaker than her was on top of her, she didn't feel bad about it at all. In fact, Iren found herself thinking that it actually felt quite nice.