Chapter 13. The Blooming of Yuri
The Blooming of Yuri
Inside the departing carriage from the royal palace, Lucian's expression was dark.
The reason the water spirit Undine had fallen into corruption—it was no mere natural phenomenon. It was unmistakably the result of deliberate tainting.
'Second Prince Kaelus... There's no way he could have the power to do this alone.'
A mere prince could never possess the mana required to corrupt an ancient spirit. That left only one conclusion.
Someone stood behind the prince. Someone unimaginably powerful—a dark mage of terrifying might.
'Belial... Has that bastard begun to move again?'
Lucian absently traced the hilt of his holy sword. Remaining in the capital any longer was too dangerous. To uncover the enemy's true nature, he needed to return to his estate and regroup.
[Eckhart County Castle]
"The Count has returned!"
The maids abandoned their tasks and rushed to the entrance in a flurry.
Though they were happy to see their master, there was something else that had piqued their curiosity far more.
The arrival of Sophia, the new guest Lucian had brought with him, had sent the entire castle into an uproar.
A priestess of legend. The fact that this noble figure, who had spent her life in prayer deep within the temple, had retired and sought refuge here was nothing short of shocking to the maids.
"Good heavens... Is that really her?"
"The aura around her... It's no joke. Just looking at her feels purifying."
Nancy and Ari whispered excitedly.
"Th-That priestess...?"
Maria instinctively clasped her hands together and called out cautiously.
Sophia turned her head and met Maria's gaze. A smile as gentle as a spring breeze graced her lips.
"A priestess? That title no longer suits me."
Her voice was as clear as the sound of jade beads rolling.
"I have lost my divine power and retired. Here, I am simply... another person under the Count's protection, just like all of you. So please, call me Sophia."
"O-Of course! Lady Sophia!"
Nancy flushed and fussed over her.
"Goodness, look at how flawless her skin is. She really is like an angel."
"And her figure! I can't believe someone like her will be living with us."
The maids were instantly captivated by Sophia's charm.
There was not a trace of the arrogance or authoritative demeanor typical of nobility in her.
Instead, her all-encompassing benevolence put them at ease, and they soon found themselves showering her with praise.
All except for one—Ella (Victoria).
'Hmph. So what if she's a priestess?'
Ella stood at a distance, biting her lip.
She had believed the Count would seek her out first upon his return. Hadn't he left her a letter with that very promise?
Yet here he was, arriving with such an extraordinary woman by his side.
'I must look like a fool, priding myself on being a noble's daughter. That woman was revered by the entire kingdom as a priestess.'
Her pride—the belief that she was the highest-ranking woman here, the one most suited to the Count—shattered into pieces.
Ella deliberately fixed Sophia with a cold glare, searching for any flaw to latch onto.
But then—
"You must be Ella. The Count has told me much about you."
Sophia approached first, warmly taking Ella's hands in hers.
"You've endured so much. Let's take care of each other from now on, sister."
"Uh... Ah, yes..."
Pure, untainted goodwill—not a shred of malice in that flawless smile.
Ella's venom withered helplessly before it. Getting angry now would only make her seem like the unreasonable one.
Trapped between pulling her hands away and forcing a smile, Ella could only nod awkwardly.
'Damn it, this is infuriating... She's too pretty and kind.'
In the end, Ella had to admit defeat. The Count's taste was clear: beautiful, kind, and curvaceous women.
That left her with only one option.
'Forget status or anything else. I'll have to settle this with what happens in bed. The Count said he liked my insides, after all.'
Ella's heated gaze sought out Lucian.
She desperately wanted him to call for her—to tear off her maid's uniform with rough hands and drive that thick length into her.
Two weeks' worth of pent-up desire weighed heavily in her lower belly.
But then—
"My lord, where are you going?"
Without even unpacking, Lucian threw his cloak back on and headed for the entrance.
"I have business to attend to. I'll return tomorrow, so rest among yourselves today."
"Wha—?! You're leaving again already?!"
The maids' despair-laden protests—Ella's most of all—burst forth, but Lucian didn't so much as glance back as he boarded the carriage.
[That Night, Behind the Maids' Quarters]
Ella sat alone on a bench, tearing at a handkerchief.
She had waited for Lucian's return with bated breath. She had believed that once he came back, her family would be restored to nobility, and she would regain her status as a noble lady—just as promised.
But the Lucian who returned didn't even spare her a glance.
"Liar... You bastard..."
Tears dripped from Ella's eyes.
He had brought that priestess woman with such fanfare, yet the one who had given him her body and heart first was still being treated like some lowly maid.
"Ella."
A calm voice called from behind her. It was I-seo.
"What are you doing out here alone?"
"None of your business. You're no different. Playing secretary, clinging to the Count's side... Do I look like a joke to you?"
Ella snapped, but I-seo didn't react. Instead, she approached and sat beside her, then carefully wrapped an arm around Ella's shoulders.
"Don't cry. The Count... must have his reasons. I've heard things aren't well in the territory."
"Reasons? He's just sick of me! He won't hold me, won't even look at me!"
Ella buried her face in I-seo's chest and sobbed.
I-seo carried Lucian's scent—the musky fragrance that had seeped into her from shadowing him constantly. Ella grew even more desolate, intoxicated by that smell.
"Sniff... I-seo, you're lucky. The Count favors you."
"That's not true. I'm just... a tool to him."
"And he hasn't taken me yet."
Technically, her soul had embraced him through Undine's reflection, but—
"Really?"
I-seo patted Ella's back in consolation.
But Ella's reaction was odd. Mid-comfort, she lifted her head and stared intently at I-seo.
Tear-filled blue eyes met I-seo's dark ones.
"I-seo... You smell like him."
"Huh?"
"If the Count won't hold me... then you hold me instead."
As if entranced, Ella pulled I-seo into an embrace and crushed their lips together.
"Mmph?!"
I-seo's eyes widened.
Ella—a prideful noblewoman—was kissing her, another woman?
Ella's tongue was clumsy but desperate.
She ravaged I-seo's mouth, craving the affection Lucian had denied her.
Slurp... Schlick...
I-seo hesitated, halfway between pushing her away and stopping.
She could feel Ella's trembling body, the desperation in the hands groping her chest.
Pity welled up. Ella was like a butterfly whose wings had burned from flying too close to the sun that was Lucian.
'You're lonely, aren't you...?'
I-seo stopped resisting and accepted Ella's kiss.
She wrapped her arms around Ella's waist and gently tangled their tongues.
"Hah... I-seo... You're so warm..."
Ella's fingers undid the buttons of I-seo's maid uniform, slipping inside to knead her breasts.
Though flustered, I-seo couldn't bring herself to reject Ella's wounded heart.
Beneath the moonlight, the two maids clung to each other's warmth, sharing a sticky consolation.
Ella's obsession with Lucian had, ironically, twisted its way toward the one closest to him—I-seo.
[The Next Day]
In a secluded corner of the garden, bathed in the drowsy afternoon sun, I-seo dozed beneath the shade of a large oak tree.
Ella crept up silently and crouched beside her.
'Look at those long lashes...'
Parted lips, the steady rise and fall of her chest.
As if enchanted, Ella leaned closer. What would those cherry-like lips taste like?
Just before their mouths met—
"Oh my, Ella? What are you doing there?"
Sophia's cheerful voice rang out as she passed by.
Ella startled like a thief caught in the act, tumbling backward.
"Ah, n-nothing! Just, there was some dust...!"
Her face burning, Ella fled, leaving a bewildered I-seo blinking awake.
[That Night, The Laundry Storage Room]
Ella cornered I-seo as she sorted through dry laundry.
"I-seo, I... I don't feel right."
"...Ella?"
"I can't stop thinking about you. I should be waiting for the Count, but my eyes keep chasing after you."
At Ella's trembling confession, I-seo's eyes widened.
After a moment's hesitation, I-seo answered slowly.
"I... don't dislike you either."
"Really?"
"But... We all swore an oath as the Count's retainers. None of us can share intimacy with another without his permission."
I-seo gestured to the invisible shackles of their contract around her neck.
But that refusal only stoked the flames of Ella's corrupted instincts.
"His property? Then... we'll just keep it secret. And I'm not a man, so it's fine."
Unable to hold back, Ella grabbed I-seo by the nape and sealed their lips again.
"Mmph!"
I-seo tried to push her away in panic, but Ella's tongue was already plundering her mouth.
As their saliva mixed and their tongues tangled, I-seo's resistance gradually faded.
The sensation was unfamiliar yet sweet. She hadn't known a kiss between women could feel this soft and sticky.
Slurp... Schlick... Hah...
"I-seo... You're so sweet...."
Ella didn't stop at the kiss, sliding a hand down to grope I-seo's chest.
Buttons popped open as her maid uniform loosened, revealing the pale breasts hidden beneath her bra.
Ella buried her face between them, licking fervently up the valley.
"Ngh... Ella, this feels weird...."
"Stay still. I'll make you feel good."
Ella's hand slipped beneath I-seo's skirt.
Pulling aside her panties revealed I-seo's neatly closed slit—a stark contrast against her flawless white skin and dark hair.
"Haah...."
Ella exhaled involuntarily.
Now she understood why the Count had always marveled at women's pussies.
Not a single stray hair in sight—just a pristine, pretty, plump little flower.
As if entranced, Ella buried her face between I-seo's thighs.
Lick.
"Eek! N-not there...!"
Ella's tongue probed the parted folds.
She flicked the entrance with the tip of her tongue, then pushed in slightly. A thin barrier blocked her way.
'A virgin... So she was telling the truth. She hasn't been with Lucian yet.'
Ella's eyes gleamed.
That lecherous Count had left such a delicious treat untouched?
He must have been saving her for the perfect moment.
'If I taste her first... What kind of face will Lucian make?'
Jealousy, betrayal, and a desire to conquer all swirled together.
The Count's woman—claimed by her first.
Suddenly, the Count no longer felt like an object of affection, but a rival competing for this delectable fruit.
"Hah... Hah...."
Ella abandoned I-seo's pussy and moved lower.
Her smooth calves, slender ankles, and small, pale feet.
They were so immaculate it was hard to believe she had once been a slave.
Schlick... Slurp.
"Ah! That tickles. Ella, that's dirty...."
"No, you're clean. So clean and pretty I could eat you up."
Ella took each of I-seo's toes into her mouth, sucking on them like candy. She licked the hollow of her sole and lightly nipped at her ankle.
Then she moved back up, this time burying her nose in the dip of I-seo's armpit.
"Hnngh!"
Her scent—I-seo's unique, cool yet sweet body odor—filled Ella's lungs.
Unable to resist, Ella unbuttoned I-seo's top further, pulling one arm free to expose her armpit fully.
She lapped at the soft skin with broad strokes, savoring the texture.
"I-seo... Every part of you is delicious."
I-seo was bewildered by Ella's exploration of her body.
It felt like Ella was mimicking the Count, sending shivers down her spine.
The order of her touches was haphazard, but the way she treated I-seo like a treasure was something entirely new.
"Ella..."
Just as I-seo, dazed, reached to cradle Ella's head—
"I-seo, are you in here?"
Nancy's voice called out, but—
BANG!
The laundry room door was thrown open.
The one who entered wasn't Nancy—it was Count Lucian, returned from his inspection of the territory.
For a moment, he was speechless at the sight before him.
I-seo, one leg spread, panties askew, her top half-bare.
And Ella, face buried in her armpit, tongue out.
I-seo's body glistened with saliva.
Silence.
"...Well, well! Yuri in full bloom!"
His exclamation wasn't anger—it was closer to the perverse delight of stumbling upon an unbelievable windfall.
[Images of the scene follow.]