Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Ariana Realizes Her Own Feelings (Illustration/NSFW Warning)
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The expedition road, second night.
It was past midnight, but Ariana was wide awake.
"Can't sleep, huh."
Ariana had been tossing and turning lately. It had gotten worse since setting out on this expedition. Whenever this happened, a breath of fresh air usually helped her drift off.
"Thanks for your hard work at this late hour."
"No problem."
Ariana encouraged the soldiers on watch duty before stepping out of the camp area.
"Was Rise on patrol duty?"
The knight commander or vice commander had no need to patrol personally. But last night too, Rise had volunteered for it. Just the two of them with Daron...
No matter how she looked at it, Rise's intentions were obvious.
Even on this expedition, Ariana turned a blind eye to Rise's blatant scheming. It was a deviation unbecoming of a knight, but a small consideration for Rise, who had seemed to have no interest in men at all. The patrols were fully staffed anyway, and as she had done today, Rise would faithfully carry out her duties tomorrow too. Rise was a vice commander capable of that much.
She hoped Rise and Daron would work out. If those two grew close, it would be deeply satisfying from her position on the sidelines.
"But..."
But what was this feeling?
Ever since Ainel had chewed her out, something inside her ached. It wasn't a physical wound. Nor was it exhaustion from the expedition. It seemed deeply tied to her recent insomnia.
"No way... It can't be. It isn't."
Ariana considered it a dangerously reckless thought.
That she... liked Daron?
"I can't. He's the man Rise likes."
Rise Salt.
The knight with the perpetually cold expression. Especially harsh toward men. But after meeting Daron, she had opened her heart as a woman for the first time.
As her trusted knight, it was only natural for the commander to wish Rise happiness.
So why... did it feel so uncomfortable?
"Is it... real?"
Was she truly in love with Daron, just as Ainel said?
When she first met him, he was just a talented soldier. But when had it started...? After touching his cock herself... She had definitely felt interest in him then.
It had to be mere curiosity about a man's cock she'd seen for the first time.
It had to be.
Ariana recalled her first time masturbating. Seeing how much Daron enjoyed her hand on his cock, she had tested if women felt good touching the same spot. Scared, she hadn't inserted a finger. But she had rubbed the outside. At first it was strange, but gradually it started feeling good. Honestly... it had felt good. Touching her secret place while thinking of Daron's massive cock had been a new pleasure.
"Hoo."
Ariana tried to clear her mind.
She wasn't the type with raging sexual urges like Daron. Indulging like that would be too lewd. She was the commander leading countless knights, the daughter of an earl's house.
She walked the forest path, steadying her heart for a moment.
"Hm?"
Haang... Haaang...
A lewd sound drifted from somewhere.
"Animals mating?"
She thought it might be beasts in heat, but something felt off. The voices... sounded human. Ariana cautiously approached the source.
The night was dark, visibility low. But moonlight revealed faint outlines.
The scene she witnessed from behind the bushes was utterly shocking.
"Yes! Ah♥ Aah♥♥"
Two humans were copulating.
A man and woman lost in passion outdoors like this.
"Your ass seems to be dropping a bit? Not sagging?"
"You're thrusting too hard, making it drop♥ Aang♥♥"
The voices revealed their identities, and Ariana's mind went blank.
"Rise...?"
The voice matched, and their half-visible uniforms confirmed it—they were people she knew. One was the unmistakably familiar voice of Rise, and the other...
"Daron! Your cock feels so good♥"
Daron.
The very man she suspected herself of liking.
Rise had declared she would sleep with Daron. But Ariana hadn't expected it to happen this quickly.
"Thrust harder!"
"Should I grab your hair? That'll keep this ass from dropping, right?"
Slap!!!
"Kyaa♥♥"
A mere soldier spanking a knight's ass hard.
"Tighten your legs and pussy. Lock your lower body firm. Fuck, here it comes."
"Yes♥ I'll keep my ass up tight."
It was unimaginable for the usual Rise. She was in love, sure, but shaking her ass so vulgarly didn't befit a knight's dignity.
"Ooh♥ Oh god♥ Ohhh cumming♥♥"
Rise wailed crudely as Daron pounded her mercilessly. Ariana's keen eyes captured every detail of the massive pillar plunging in and out of Rise. Watching their sex, Ariana felt her own pussy heating up.
Rise had vowed to sleep with Daron just yesterday. So this was their first or second time, yet they looked so blissfully into it. The atmosphere was worlds apart from when Ariana had touched Daron's cock herself.
"Vice commander's pussy tastes so good. Lucky me, getting to eat this all to myself."
"Haa... My pussy's for Daron♥ Eat it up, quick♥ Hurry♥ Hurry♥"
"Don't order me! Shut up and squeeze that pussy!!!"
"Kuuuh♥ My womb's gonna bruise♥ So good, aaah♥ Ahhh♥"
For some reason, Daron was speaking casually to Rise, even spewing profanities unfit for polite company. But Rise welcomed it without hesitation, shaking her ass in rhythm with his cock. She had cast aside all human dignity, panting in ecstasy.
'Is sex... that good?'
In just a day, or two at most, they had become like this. Their statuses as knight and soldier meant nothing here. Rise was a woman, Daron a man. They felt lust for each other and were unleashing it.
—Commander. These days, sex is just something men and women do when the mood strikes. Sure, lovers do it too, but it's also totally fine for relieving mutual lust.
Ainel's advice suddenly came to mind. Sex between lovers was great, but casual sex for lust relief felt good too, she'd said.
Those two rutting like beasts proved her words true with their bodies.
'They look happy.'
Each slap of Daron's groin against Rise's ass echoed with joyful moans. Faces unseen, but surely expressions of bliss.
That was enough.
Their wild sex was unexpected, but if Rise and Daron were happy, that was what mattered.
"Eh?"
Ariana noticed something wet on her face. The source was all too obvious.
'Tears...? Why?'
Was she shedding tears of joy because Rise found a good man?
No.
"I love you, Daron! Haaang♥"
"Me too."
"I love you! I love you♥"
"Got it, so show me that love with your pussy?"
"O... Okay!"
Rise's happiness was worth celebrating, but not enough to make Ariana cry.
'Ah... I see.'
Now she understood.
She finally knew.
She had finally realized her own feelings.
These tears streaming down her cheeks.
This heart trembling as if pricked by thorns.
They were proof.
'I... like Daron.'
Ariana's heart ached. More painful than Rise's happiness was the fact that Daron was having sex with another woman. But Daron had done nothing wrong. Ariana had kept her distance first and cheered Rise on. She had no right to complain about Daron sleeping with Rise.
'What if... I did it with Daron too?'
What if she were in Rise's place, getting pounded doggy-style like a bitch?
The mere thought sent thrilling excitement shuddering through Ariana's body. But she couldn't muster the courage. They already had their own world, and it would feel like betraying Rise.
—Commander. These days, sex is just something men and women do when the mood strikes. Sure, lovers do it too, but it's also totally fine for relieving mutual lust.
But... if she didn't say she loved him... and they just had sex?
Ainel had said sex wasn't just for lovers. If she hid these feelings and did it with Daron?
'No. What am I thinking.'
Ariana still couldn't abandon her noble sensibilities. It looked pleasurable, but she couldn't become such a lewd woman.
On the other hand, she was convincing herself. The moment she admitted loving Daron, sex wouldn't seem like a problem.
But... Daron would love Rise now. She had slept with him and openly shown her affection. And objectively, Rise had such a seductive body. With a partner that perfect, it was unlikely he'd take interest in Ariana now. Rejection would only make her more miserable.
"Rise! Cumming again!"
"Kyuuuuuh♥♥"
Unaware of Ariana's presence, the two vented their lust without restraint. Unable to bear hearing more, Ariana hurriedly left.
...Leaving a damp trail behind.