Sharing a Bed
With a sharp click, the clasps of her armor came undone, and the whole suit crashed to the floor with a heavy thud. What remained underneath was a single layer of thin black leather tights — the kind worn so bare skin wouldn't chafe against steel.
I'd been watching her, wondering what on earth she was doing, and the moment those tights came into view I swallowed hard. The fabric clung to her skin so tightly it left nothing of her figure to the imagination.
"W-whoa…"
"Hah— now take responsibility!"
Dressed in something that was practically naked — or, depending how you looked at it, even more provocative than naked — Monica said those words and began slowly closing the distance between us.
Every step she took forward, I took one back. That parallel retreat went on until my back hit the wall.
Even with nowhere left to run, Monica kept coming until our noses nearly touched.
"What are you hesitating for? Do you find a woman who does this sort of thing so distasteful — like some common whore? Don't worry. Every one of Her Highness's knights is required to be an inexperienced virgin."
"N-no, that's not— it isn't that…"
My first time would be with someone I loved. And the woman I loved would be someone I met on an adventure — a fated encounter. That flimsy little vow of mine crumbled the instant the raw violence of a real woman's body pressed in on me.
Honestly, a royal guard to the princess was more than capable enough. Dating someone like that wouldn't be so bad, would it?
She'd picked a fight trying to protect the princess, fallen for my skill, and come looking for me afterward — that was a plus too. Pretty face, great figure, real ability…
Huh? That… actually doesn't sound bad at all…
I swallowed again, unfastened my sword, and tossed it aside before looking at her.
"…Are you sure this is really okay?"
"Aaah— I'm prepared."
"Y-you're really sure!? Even if a baby happens, I won't know what to do!"
"That's fine too. It's still daytime."
I wondered what daylight had to do with anything, but I clamped my mouth shut rather than ask and risk exposing myself as a clueless virgin who'd never done this before.
Sword set aside, armor discarded, I was left in underclothes not so different from hers. I took her hand.
"W-we're going to be together all day!"
"Mm… be gentle, please."
"Yes, ma'am! I'll hold on gently!"
Carefully modulating my grip, I took her hand and felt cold sweat pouring from my palm as I slowly drew her onto the bed.
She followed me in. Determined not to let go for anything, I kept hold of her hand and stared at her face, trying to steady my racing heart.
Monica's cheeks colored faintly as she met my eyes in turn. They didn't sparkle the way Elenoa's did, but her scarlet irises were beautiful enough on their own.
"S-so what do we do now?"
"We sleep like this."
"It's the middle of the day and you're already talking about sleep?"
"Yes. We're staying like this until morning."
"Something about this feels off…"
"I read it in a book, so it has to be right."
My parents had told me the same thing. If a man and a woman held hands and slept together — if they shared their love that way — a baby would be born.
And honestly, this situation felt like it could produce a baby or make my heart explode, either one.
Every time her full, straining chest pressed against my arm, my heartbeat only grew more violent.
Night fell. Morning came.
I had shared a bed with a woman for the first time in my life.
"—And for that reason, I have completed my service and returned. Here is the Swordmaster's signature confirming he was fully satisfied."
Back at the royal palace, Monica presented a document bearing Evan's signature. Elenoa glanced over the scrawl, set it aside, and looked at Monica with open curiosity.
"You really shared a bed with the Swordmaster?"
"Yes. I did."
"It must have been your first time — wasn't it hard? There should have been blood, and it must have hurt terribly."
"…He didn't grip that hard."
"Grip? Aaah— so he's that type, is he."
Elenoa smirked, eyes dropping to Monica's chest. Men really did love those useless lumps of fat, didn't they.
She pulled her gaze away and hummed thoughtfully, studying Monica as though weighing what to do with her.
"Hmm… still, what am I supposed to do with you."
"Your Highness? What do you mean…"
"All of our royal guards are virgins — it wouldn't be fair if you alone weren't, would it? I've been trying to decide how to handle your position."
"Y-Your Highness… you clearly said that if I completed my service well, I would be allowed to return…"
"I said that so you'd serve the Swordmaster properly. Without some kind of incentive, you might have half-assed it, no?"
Elenoa let out a sigh in Monica's direction.
"From the start — the moment you committed such rudeness toward the Swordmaster, you should have taken responsibility and accepted punishment. You seem to think the title is a joke, but it means he is an existence on par with my father."
A Swordmaster was living proof of a superhuman. A way of announcing to every other power that the kingdom possessed one more transcendent being.
To slight such a person was no different from slighting His Majesty himself.
"Brother Alin cut off a royal guard's arm just for speaking casually to the Swordmaster once. Should I have done the same?"
"H-his arm…"
Only then did Monica grasp the full weight of what she'd done. She trembled as she looked at Elenoa. A day or two of service was never going to be enough to earn her way back.
Watching her shake, Elenoa chuckled and flipped through the papers.
"But you're lucky, Monica."
"Y-yes? Your Highness, what do you…"
"From what I can tell, the Swordmaster was a virgin. Men never forget their first woman — so rather than casting you out, keeping you around seems far more useful."
"Th-thank you, Your Highness!"
"If you make the same mistake again, there will be no mercy."
Realizing she'd been granted a second chance, Monica bowed her head in gratitude. Elenoa watched her with a smile full of interest and spoke again.
"More importantly — Monica. What does the Swordmaster look like… down there?"
"Pardon? What do you mean…"
"Oh, come on. Are you going to make me say it out loud?"
"Well… he has a cute appearance befitting his young age."
"Heeh— is that so. Mm-hm. That's fine. I've never done it either, so size doesn't really matter."
"Size…?"
Monica tilted her head, utterly lost as to what Elenoa was talking about — but the princess was already lost in her own imagination and didn't hear a word of her muttering.
The fact that Monica and Evan had done nothing more than hold hands all night would not come to light until much, much later.
Sunlight poured down. It was the same light as yesterday, and yet something about it felt different. The world itself hadn't changed — only the world as I perceived it had.
"It's dazzling."
The world could shine this brilliantly. In the span of a single morning, I had grasped that truth.
Humming under my breath, I walked to the guild, shoved the doors open with full force, and called out a greeting.
"Good morning—!"
Every staff member's eyes snapped toward me, then scattered just as quickly. Adventurers who'd been looking for a fight realized who I was and immediately turned away.
Word that the princess had come looking for the Swordmaster had spread through the entire city the day before. The Nine Lives incident had already made my identity public knowledge, but this was on another level entirely.
There was a world of difference between clashing with a group of quietly discriminated beastmen and having a national treasure — the princess herself — come calling.
"Rebecca! Good morning!"
"Yeees… you're especially energetic today, Evan."
"Hahaha—! Is it that obvious!?"
I laughed and scratched the back of my head. Something the rogue big sister I'd once cleared a dungeon with had said came floating back to me.
—A man needs experience. There's a massive difference between having done it and not.
She'd been right. In a single morning, people could already tell I'd changed.
"Something good happened. Starting today, I am the NEW Evan."
"Something good…? Well, I don't know what it was, but congratulations."
Rebecca gave a small round of applause, tilted her head, and slowly drew out some documents.
She slid several requests across to me and began explaining the merits of each one in turn.
"This is a mission to eliminate a recently discovered manticore — good for fighting in tight spaces… and this one is a request for red drake hide. If you just bring us the carcass, our guild will handle the tanning…"
As I listened, I discovered a problem. All I could see were the backs of Rebecca's hands, her scent, and the glimpse of cleavage that appeared every time she leaned forward over the papers.
H-huh?
After my first experience, nothing but women's bodies registered in my vision. I had no capacity left to care about requests.
Sensing something was wrong at last, I reached for my hip. The sword I always carried wasn't there.
…I'm insane.
I'd forgotten even my sword. My head was full of nothing but women.