Hyde, Subjected to All Manner of Temptation! #1
Toss, turn—.
Rustle—.
Psyche, lying atop the bed, kept shifting her body restlessly.
"Psyche, can you not sleep?"
I asked.
At that, Psyche's closed eyes slowly opened. She soon sat up from where she had been lying, lit the nearby candle, and gave a shy little smile.
"That's right. Hyde, the thought of you leaving on a long journey tomorrow means I simply cannot sleep. I've heard the people of Fierenzo are terribly particular. What if someone treats you rudely?"
I had heard such stories many times myself.
Fierenzo was called the flower of the Durgien province — a city that excelled in culture, the arts, and faith. Scholars, artists, and priests of high learning gathered there for profound debate, and so they supposedly held the ignorant in contempt.
I rather like the sound of that.
It would be my first time going to Fierenzo as well, but I held out hope that a place like that would be full of people with whom I could actually hold a conversation.
The people of Fierenzo called themselves educated persons, did they not?
"Psyche, do not worry. Do I look like someone who would be slighted wherever he goes?"
"No, it isn't that, but…"
"I have heard Fierenzo is a city of beautiful rivers running through it. With so many learned people there, surely many will recognize my true worth and value."
A city of art and culture.
It was a place I had genuinely wanted to visit for a long time.
I'll go and sell the Backstreet Nymph's Village I wrote.
Then the cultured folk of Fierenzo would surely recognize the artistic and theological value contained in my book.
What if it becomes so popular that people throng around me begging for autographs?
What if they keep reprinting it over and over?
If every party in town wants to invite the famous author as their guest of honor, that might actually be a problem.
And so, just as I was wearing a faintly troubled expression, Psyche spoke.
"Hyde, wouldn't it be better if I came along after all? You're actually anxious about setting out alone on such a long journey, aren't you?"
I was not particularly anxious.
If anything, having Psyche follow me was the more unsettling prospect.
"Psyche, with Loras and Tristan both gone, you must remain here to train the soldiers and maintain order if Agarpe territory is to be protected."
The Psyche I remembered had been an excellent knightess. She had joined the Knights of Six and forced them to rename themselves the Knights of Seven, after all.
Of course, the Psyche of now had less experience than that Psyche, and her technique and strength were still lacking. So it was better that she steadily build her skill and devote herself to training.
That was how she would protect Agarpe territory.
This place was now something like a home I would return to, after all.
"I shall go to Fierenzo and bring back excellent knights for Agarpe territory — I swear it."
Not counterfeit knights like Loras or Tristan, but real ones.
I shall select them myself with my superb eye for talent.
Speaking of knights reminded me of something.
I wonder how Galatea is doing?
"How is Dame Galatea? Is her condition still quite poor?"
Galatea had been subjected to vile brainwashing by the Crescent Moon Sisterhood and was in considerable mental distress. Several days had passed since then — I wondered how she was now.
Psyche soon answered.
"Her memories seem to be slowly returning these days. Dame Galatea is one thing, but the gardener Paulo also seems terribly heartbroken."
Well, of course. That little Paulo had been betrayed by a knight he trusted — the shock was bound to be severe.
See? I told him.
Don't watch knights and learn techniques for killing people — become my disciple and learn how to save them.
In truth, I had saved any number of people.
Dihon was one of them.
"How is Dihon?"
"Dihon's condition has improved so much…! Just earlier, my little brother Dihon was even walking about the manor interior for a stroll."
"That is wonderful news."
"This is the first time I've ever seen my brother Dihon looking so healthy. Hyde, I truly cannot begin to measure how much help our Agarpe family has received from you."
Psyche's eyes sparkled with genuine, earnest gratitude.
To be sincerely thankful when one has received help.
It looks easy, but for greedy people it is remarkably difficult.
In that sense, looking at Psyche — so pure and honest — made my heart melt softly.
Yes. This is what a wife is.
So what if we can't have a little sex?
Sharing sincere conversation like this, exchanging the warmth of our hearts — is that not what truly makes a husband and wife?
"But Dihon does have one small problem. It's about the Gwichukdo."
Suddenly my chest went cold.
It felt as though needles were pricking me all over.
I warmed my heart with a sense of justice and spoke with the fervor of a sermon.
"That is truly a piece of garbage. I can scarcely believe there is a person in this world who would write such a book."
"Exactly. To think Dihon was hiding and reading such a dreadful firestarter of a book — it's truly shocking. How could anyone possibly—."
My thoughts exactly.
What kind of insane bitch would give a ten-year-old boy a book full of sex and cunts and cocks?
And I have to take that insane bitch as my second wife!
It was a thoroughly dreadful prospect.
"Lady Milione does not seem to be in her right mind."
I said it calmly.
Psyche, beneath the candlelight, grew even more serious.
"Lady Milione is a problem, yes — but the greatest problem of all is that man Rust, the author of the Gwichukdo. He would never stop at just one book. If new works keep coming out—."
It was a dreadful prospect indeed.
"Hyde, you must write to me! I'll be waiting!"
Squeeze—.
The day of departure for Fierenzo.
Psyche clasped my hand firmly, sharing her warmth.
I felt energized from the morning.
"He won't even have time to write letters. Hyde's going to be run off his feet the second he arrives in Fierenzo."
Milione sniped.
I felt drained from the morning.
At any rate.
With that sort of send-off, I climbed into the carriage.
Psyche did not release my hand even as I boarded, and she said:
"Hyde, when you return safely, there's something I want to tell you. It's about my vow of chastity. As for what that means… I'll tell you when you come back safe!"
Something about her vow of chastity.
My vision swam, and I felt blood rush violently toward my lower half.
Since I cured Dihon's illness, is Psyche saying she'll break her vow of chastity?
That post-marital chastity nonsense — that bizarre thing that isn't even in the Bible — is she saying she'll break it?
"Psyche! I shall most certainly write!"
"Hyah!"
The carriage drawn by two horses set off.
The interior was wider than expected, yet that only meant Milione and I had to sit facing each other — which was exceedingly awkward.
Last night.
When I was talking with Psyche and falling asleep together, I thought I was in heaven.
Even just now, parting tenderly with Psyche was heaven.
But this carriage, sitting alone with Lady Milione, feels like hell.
"Hyde, tell me something interesting. I'm bored out of my mind."
You wretched girl.
We've only been on the road five minutes — how are you already bored!
Of course I did not say that aloud.
If Milione went on a rampage in this narrow cabin, my body would clearly be crushed the way Selim's had been yesterday.
I opened one of the boxes Psyche had piled high with gifts for me before I left for Fierenzo.
Inside were stacks of books — my once-in-a-generation masterpiece, Backstreet Nymph's Village, and its second volume.
"Would you care to read the Backstreet Nymph's Village that I wrote? I composed a second volume this time to show Young Master Dihon."
"Already read it."
"You have?"
"It was boring as fuck. A bunch of nymphs besides Oenoe show up and just spout a bunch of weird nonsense."
To reduce a book I spent two whole days agonizing over to a single crude summary…
Ptooey—.
Milione even spat on the book I was holding.
"Fucking garbage of a book."
This insane bitch.
Worse, Milione kept repeating the word "fuck."
How vulgar a curse is that?
"Lady Milione. The daughter of the Archibold house must not soil her mouth with words like 'fuck.'"
"Fuck off."
Saying so, Lady Milione raised her middle finger at me.
I sat there, stunned into silence, and Milione cackled.
"It's such a practical word. To think such a simple insult even exists in this world. The Gwichukdo really is incredible. This is what it means for a book to change the world."
Slide—.
Milione pulled a worn, tattered book from between her breasts.
She flipped through the pages she must have read countless times already, her face flushed with excitement.
"The way I see it, this book is going to kill an ungodly number of people. A knight's sword only kills one person at a time. But this book — this book is going to kill a truly ungodly number."
Why does everything have to be about killing.
Milione's mania seemed to grow stronger with every passing day.
"How does a book kill people? Lady Milione, you do exaggerate."
"A book? This isn't a book. To some people it just looks low and obscene — but it also contains a scathing critique of the world."
Where exactly is this scathing critique of the world.
I never put anything like that in.
"Aren't you overinterpreting? What scathing critique of the world could there possibly be in a mere collection of vulgar, low-minded personal scribblings?"
"Hyde, a stupid man like you would never get it! Look at Rust's stories — mocking the powerful and their women, fucking them left and right! This isn't just a book. It's a challenge and a warning aimed at the whole age!"
How does that even get interpreted that way?
I just wrote it because stories about fucking highborn, lofty women sell well.
Milione soon let out a long sigh.
"Forget it. More importantly, I want to talk about Psyche. Looking at you two earlier, you parted like some eternal love affair."
Psyche.
The moment her name was spoken, a warm breeze blew through my heart as though spring flowers were blooming.
Being with Milione only made me realize all over again how pure, kind, and beautiful a woman Psyche was.
This journey would take roughly a month or two, I expected.
The thought of not seeing Psyche's face for that long already left me wistful and longing.
Psyche had been terribly reluctant to part as well.
Only—.
Milione sneered as though she could not understand our feelings at all.
"Anyone watching would think you'd loved each other your whole lives. You two haven't even known each other a month. And you go on about love and whatever — it makes me sick. You haven't even had sex."
"Lady Milione, that is the nature of love. Physical relations are not a requirement for love to exist. It seems the concept may have progressed a little too quickly for you."
"You say that, but the only thing in your head is defiling Psyche, right? Rust said so. All men are like that. Men who pretend to be pious like you are the ones who make people sicker."
Coming from the smartest man in the world, that one really hits home, doesn't it.
Slide—.
Then Milione Archibold shifted over into the seat beside me.
She soon breathed lukewarm air against me and laid her hand on my thigh.
"Hyde, I know bastards like you. You act kind and pious to people's faces, but behind their backs you commit the most horrific acts of anyone."
Stroke, stroke—.
As she spoke, Milione Archibold kept caressing my thigh with her hand.
The touch was softer and more affectionate than I expected, and I was startled.
Milione — no, Las — her hands can be this tender?
"You don't need to keep lying and playing the hypocrite in front of me. Conveniently, it's just the two of us in this carriage, and my body's already heated up — so how about it. Right now, you can do whatever you want with me."
Slide—.
The hand that had been stroking my thigh seized my hand.
And then she brought it to her own breast, did she not?
Soft—.
An explosively soft, springy breast met my palm.
And that was not all.
Slide—.
Milione undid the buttons of her top until her breasts were fully bared.
"We're going to get married anyway, aren't we. Hyde."