Chapter 237: Crying Out Love in the Heart of the Lord's Castle
Chapter 237: Crying Out Love in the Heart of the Lord's Castle
We clasped hands and shook them up and down a few times. I tried to let go, but for some reason, Silvia wouldn't release my hand.
Come to think of it, her face was strangely flushed. She was also clenching her thighs together, rubbing them against each other in a subtle, fidgety way.
Had that one Saint's Touch really done this to her?
I hadn't forgotten that when I touched her with Saint's Touch, the skill's effect would remain in her body until I released it.
But once I knew I could have sex with her without any guilty feelings, my heart felt lighter, and I’d just been playing a little prank.
Besides, that touch had been with the absolute minimum power.
No matter how sensitive Silvia was due to her lack of tolerance for pleasure, she shouldn't be reacting this strongly to something so minor.
Or was she thinking we were about to have sex right now?
I had made it clear that it wouldn't be a frequent thing, but I suppose she might think I’d do it right away, now that she was officially a companion.
Unfortunately for her, I had no intention of sleeping with Silvia at this moment.
I’d run here to escape Sara and Leia, who were demanding I sleep with them. If I did it with Silvia now, I wouldn't be able to handle the fallout later.
As much as I liked to pass things off to Future Guwon, I didn't think even he could handle that mess.
"Hey. Let me be clear, I'm not going to have sex with you right now."
"Hah! N-No! That's not why I was holding on! I'm sorry!"
At my words, Silvia jumped in surprise and immediately let go of my hand.
But contrary to her words, her expression fell slightly.
"You can't bear it because of the weak skill I just used?"
"N-No, sir! I'm fine! I can endure it!"
"...If you really can't take it, don't just suffer in silence. You have to tell me, okay?"
"Y-Yes. I understand."
It seemed she wasn't entirely without a sense of shame, as she spoke with a blush.
I felt a little bad. If I hadn't just fled from Sara and Leia, I would have wanted to try it with her once.
Of course, there was the simple masculine instinct of wanting to hold a beautiful woman like Silvia, but more than that, there was something I wanted to confirm.
How on earth did she feel so much back then?
Even using Sex Analyze, I still couldn't see a single erogenous zone on her.
But when we did it for her treatment, she had clearly been feeling it continuously, even without me using any Saint skills.
This was the same frigidity that even Diana had once failed to cure after investigating it.
It made me curious about what was going on.
"Th-Then, until you are ready to hold me, Lord Guwon, should I continue to raise my level?"
Just then, Silvia said something strange.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Pardon? Well, to make your dungeon expeditions easier for you, Lord Guwon..." "Forbidden."
"Sorry?"
"You're forbidden from sleeping with other men from now on. I don't like sleeping with women other guys have held."
The moment I understood what Silvia was saying, the words shot out of my mouth before I could even think.
Thinking about it rationally, it was strange for me to tell her not to sleep with other men.
I hadn't even acknowledged her as my woman, had I? On top of that, I'd made it clear I wouldn't sleep with her often.
And yet, I was telling her not to sleep with other men? It was an incredibly selfish thing to say.
Despite that, the thought of Silvia continuing to be held by other men made my blood boil.
I'd called Sara and Diana possessive, but it turned out I was the most possessive one of all.
"Eek... Yes, sir!"
But in response to my selfish declaration, Silvia beamed a happy smile and answered with vigor.
Seeing that smile somehow made my guilt even stronger, so I averted my gaze and changed the subject.
"A-Anyway! Now that we're companions, can't you do something about the way you talk?"
"The way I talk... sir?"
"Yeah. You're a noble lady, right? You don't usually talk like that in your daily life, do you?"
"W-Well... actually, this is how I always speak. I apologize."
"No, there's nothing to be sorry about. You always talk like that?"
"Yes... I've been part of the knight order since I was young, so..."
Ah, now that I think about it, Diana mentioned that.
Because of her frigidity, her level was incredibly high from a young age, allowing her to achieve growth unbefitting of her years. This must be the result of that.
"Right. Well, if that's how you normally talk, there's no need to force yourself to change. Just be comfortable. But can't you do something about the 'Lord Guwon' thing? I'm not so great that you need to attach a title like that. Just call me Guwon."
"W-What?! B-But how could I..."
"What do you mean, 'how could you'? When we first met, you just called me Guwon."
"I-I'm sorry! Th-That time... that was..."
"No. I'm not scolding you. I'm saying you should call me casually like you did back then."
"Th-Then... G-Gu... Gu... Gu..."
Are you a pigeon? All that cooing.
"C-Can't I just call you Lord Guwon? You are Lord Guwon!"
In the end, Silvia couldn't bring herself to call me casually and cried out with tears in her eyes.
Was that something to get teary-eyed about? It made it seem like I was bullying her.
Fine. Just do whatever you want.
I decided to give up cleanly.
*
"We're done talking."
A fair amount of time had passed while I was talking with Silvia.
Figuring Sara and Leia would have calmed down a bit by now, I returned to my room.
I thought it wouldn't be strange if they had already dispersed, but Sara, Diana, and Leia were still there.
And yet, they hadn't come looking for me while I was talking with Silvia, probably so they wouldn't interrupt. My girls really are kind.
And I, for holding back and not doing it with Silvia, must be a genius.
The three of them were sitting at the table in the room, elegantly enjoying a tea party.
Come to think of it, they all get along quite well when I'm not around.
It seems their competitive spirit explodes whenever I'm in the middle.
Am I the root of all evil?
The moment I entered, they all seemed to scan me from head to toe.
Yep, they're checking to see if I had a round with her or not.
Maybe it was my imagination, but Leia's nostrils twitched cutely, as if she were even checking my scent.
In any case, with nothing to hide, I confidently introduced Silvia.
"So, she's part of our clan starting today. Please get along with her."
"I-It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Silvia, with a slightly nervous expression, bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.
"Mm. Welcome."
"I know we've met, but it's a pleasure to work with you."
"Hehe. This is wonderful."
"Thank you, Lady Diana, Lady Sara, Lady Leia."
"L-Lady Sara?!"
"Silvia-ssi, we're companions now, so you don't need to use such honorifics."
"No, I couldn't possibly. How could I be so informal with Lord Guwon's wives..."
"W-Wives... We're not married yet."
Sara, your cool expression is crumbling. Everyone can see how happy you are.
Of course, I find that side of Sara adorable, too.
In any case, helping Silvia fit in seemed far easier than I'd expected.
She knew exactly how to get on my girls' good side.
No, it didn't seem like a calculated statement, but rather something she said with genuine sincerity.
"Then, to commemorate our new companion, shall we go out for lunch today?"
After the introductions were over and everyone seemed to accept her, I made the suggestion.
It's an age-old tradition in fantasy worlds that the best way for companions to get closer is to drink together.
Besides, if we go out naturally like this, there won't be any fighting during the day over who gets the Apostle Appointment first.
My brain works pretty well, doesn't it?
"Splendid! A fine idea indeed! Let us go!"
For some reason, Diana's face lit up as she agreed.
What's with her? Why is she so happy?
"Hey. Come to think of it, why are you just lazing around here?"
"Wh-What do you mean? I was naturally waiting, worried about whether your talk with Miss Silvia went well!"
"Well, you've confirmed it went well, so are you going to head over to the Mage Association now?"
"B-But what about the meal?! Eating out?!"
So that was it.
That was the reason Diana, who had no need to fight over the Apostle Appointment, had been lingering here.
"Hmm. I think we should just eat at home..."
"What nonsense is this! On such an auspicious day, eating out is best!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Think of how hard Vanessa works for our meals. The food at home is way more delicious than most restaurants. Right?"
"Urk... Th-That's..."
Diana, unable to answer one way or the other, looked crestfallen.
She really is fun to tease.
Consider this your punishment for making me suffer by showing off your Apostle's Seal.
I'll just keep her on edge like this, and at the very end...
"Hehe. Guwon-ssi, you shouldn't tease Diana-ssi so much."
"Yes. I'm sorry, my angel."
I was about to tease her more, but a single gentle word from my angel made me change my mind instantly.
Hah... How can she be so kind? I feel purified. My angel is truly the best.
And so, that day, we all went out to eat and spent the time focused on integrating Silvia into the party.
Silvia, who was stiff with nervousness at first, had visibly relaxed by the evening.
The three of them seemed to have taken a real liking to Silvia, especially since she consistently used formal language and treated them as my wives.
It was enough to make me a little jealous.
I mean, I get that you like being called my wife, but aren't you liking it a little too much? Pay some attention to me, too.
It was four women and one man, wandering around.
At some point, the flow naturally turned into a shopping trip.
And that meant a conversation between the women, which a man couldn't possibly join, had begun.
Am I not just a convenient pack mule? Not that it's hard, since I have an inventory.
Maybe I should join the conversation... no, wait. This is a clothing store, isn't it?
Ugh. My old trauma, which I thought was completely healed... How can it take hours to pick a single dress?!
Yeah, I probably shouldn't get involved. You girls just have fun shopping.
As I was fighting my lonely battle a step away from the group, I suddenly realized there was someone else who, like me, was watching the group with a fond smile from a distance.
It was Leia.
"Leia? What are you doing? Not shopping with them?"
"Ah, Guwon-ssi. Hehe. I'm fine. I prefer being here by your side, you know?"
Leia spoke as she gently took my arm.
Is she being considerate of me? Leia truly is an angel.
Wait, did I say that backwards? No, it doesn't feel wrong.
But even as she said it, Leia's gaze remained fixed on Sara, Diana, and Silvia, who were enjoying their shopping.
What was that emotion in her eyes? Envy... perhaps?
No, if she was envious, she could just join them.
I've been distributing the money we earn fairly, so it's not like Leia is short on... wait a minute. Come to think of it, what does Leia spend her money on?
As I learned from the enema incident, Sara sometimes goes out shopping on her own.
And Diana goes without saying. She's the one footing the bill for that entire mansion.
But what about Leia? Before she joined our party, she was spending all her money helping the people in the slums, so much so that she couldn't even afford a staff and had to gather materials herself.
Honestly, I hadn't paid much attention to it since she joined the party.
I figured what everyone did with their share of the money was their own business, and now that we'd found the Mana Pool habitat, I thought Leia wouldn't need to spend as much of her own money on the slums.
But thinking about it again, I realized how shortsighted I'd been.
This was my angel we were talking about.
She wasn't the type of person to reduce the money she spent helping others just because her own situation had improved a little.
Could it be that she's still spending every penny she earns to help the people in the slums?
Come to think of it, she's always in her priestess robes.
It's not like priestesses have to wear their robes all the time. She did borrow one of Diana's dresses when she first came to the mansion.