Chapter 59: “Punishment”

What did the cake from tonight actually taste like?

Ai’er didn’t know.

It was mainly because of what Elena had said before dinner. It made it so that even when Ai’er put the cake in her mouth, she had no idea what it tasted like.

Standing before the door, Ai’er felt a little nervous.

After dinner, Elena had suddenly leaned close to her ear, whispered “I’ll be waiting for you,” and then gone upstairs.

But at this point, she had no choice but to go through with it.

“Come on, Ai’er, you can do it, you definitely can…

You can do it, meow! QAQ!”

After mentally preparing herself, Ai’er gently knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Drawn curtains, a nightlight casting a suggestive glow, and Elena, who had changed into light, thin clothing, all entered Ai’er’s field of view.

What did Elena want to do?

Ai’er didn’t know. All she could do was gently close the door behind her, the tips of her ears burning bright red.

“Take it off.”

Soon, the long black dress slipped to the floor, followed by the white decorative silk.

Even if she was unwilling, even if Elena was watching her the entire time…

As a maid, Ai’er had no choice but to comply.

C-Can’t disobey the Young Lady’s orders, QAQ meow.

…Though Ai’er thought this in her heart, her movements were quite swift. It was hard to tell if she was willing or not.

“Come here.”

The white stockings rubbed against the carpet, the rustling sensation and sound making the silver-haired girl’s soles feel ticklish…

No, her heart felt ticklish too.

The room’s lighting wasn’t bright. The nightlight’s orange-yellow glow fell on Ai’er’s fair, tender skin, dyeing the girl with a layer of suggestive crimson.

One step, two steps.

Until she was close to the Witch by the bedside, close to her slightly upturned lips, close to what she was holding in her hand…

“Mew!”

The moment her skin was touched, Ai’er couldn’t help but let out a small cry.

And so, finally, the sheer, close-fitting garment woven from gossamer—

Slipped off—

Right?

It did not.

“It suits you very well, Ai’er.

I was worried earlier that without taking you to the shop for measurements, the size might not be right.

But it seems this nightgown fits you perfectly.”

Elena smiled as she draped the nightgown she had privately custom-made for Ai’er over her shoulders, then circled Ai’er once.

Earlier, she had been worried about being OOXX’d, or XXOO’d.

But upon confirming there were no heart shapes in Elena’s eyes, Ai’er felt relieved.

…She was relieved, right?

But… but why did she feel a little regretful, meow?

“Then… Ai’er, come here.”

Sitting on the bed, Elena opened her arms to Ai’er.

—To sleep together with her.

This was Elena’s “punishment” for Ai’er.

…Huh.

Baby, this punishment feels more like acting spoiled.

But Ai’er roughly understood: this so-called “punishment” was just this Witch finding an excuse for something she wanted to do anyway.

Actually, if Elena had this need, she could have just told her directly, right?

Ai’er couldn’t understand Elena’s way of thinking.

And the fact was—Elena felt that if she had asked directly, Ai’er might have disliked it.

But seeing Ai’er obediently sit down beside her, Elena felt her earlier worries had been unnecessary.

“But this is fine…”

Elena deliberately lowered her voice, gently pulling Ai’er into her embrace.

“U-um… Elena, why did you suddenly—”

“I don’t know either. But… does Ai’er dislike this?”

Looking into those clear, ink-blue eyes, Ai’er didn’t know what to say for a moment, so she just lightly shook her head.

Sleeping together with the target of her affections—of course Ai’er couldn’t possibly dislike that. But regarding the fact that Elena’s eyes weren’t heart-shaped, Ai’er still felt…

A bit of, a little, maybe a smidge, a slight, a tiny, a minuscule amount of…

Regret.

“Then, let’s rest.”

Elena smiled. With a snap of her fingers, the nightlight’s glow went out.

In the darkness, Elena was thinking about what to do tomorrow with the silver-haired girl in her arms when she felt the girl suddenly lift her head towards her.

“Elena, do you know Flight Magic?”

“Flight Magic?”

Why was Ai’er asking this?

Could it be Ai’er… wanted to sleep with her in the sky?!

T-That’s way too bold, isn’t it? If we did anything up there, wouldn’t everyone below see?

Elena suddenly felt her ears grow hot, as if warm blood was constantly rushing to her face.

But…

If Ai’er wanted to do that… she… she supposed…

It… it wasn’t impossible—

“If we’re going from here to the Duchy of White, Flight Magic should be the fastest, right?”

The Duchy of White?!

What on earth was this silver-haired girl thinking? Elena felt she couldn’t keep up with Ai’er’s train of thought.

“Ai’er, that’s too—”

“It really is too difficult, huh? Then taking a carriage first thing tomorrow should work too…

But, but we should finish the cake we didn’t eat tonight first, hehe~”

Seemingly ignoring Elena’s reaction, Ai’er kept talking to herself, not really speaking to anyone in particular.

At this moment, Elena roughly understood her own self-delusion.

It was just that in the pitch-black room, the blush on Elena’s face wasn’t very visible.

But…

Just hearing Ai’er’s voice, feeling Ai’er’s body warmth in her embrace, for some reason, she wanted to chat more with this silver-haired girl, or rather… wanted to stick close together?

But why was that? Was it just like the books said, because she hadn’t been able to see the person she missed for so long before, so the more time she spent with that person, the more she wanted to… what was that word again?

It seemed to be—stick close?

“Why is Ai’er suddenly thinking of going back to the Duchy?”

In the darkness, Elena gently took hold of one of Ai’er’s hands. Over the past two days, Elena had become quite skilled at holding Ai’er’s hand, so much so that she could do it even in this pitch-black darkness where you couldn’t see your own hand.

What was Ai’er’s reason for wanting to go to the Duchy? That wasn’t important.

Wherever this silver-haired girl wanted to go, Elena was willing to accompany her.

“Um… W-What I’m about to say next, Elena, please don’t get angry, okay?”

Angry? Why would she get angry?

Elena wasn’t clear why Ai’er was worried about this. Had she ever gotten angry with Ai’er before?

“It’s just… Elena, in that room at the Duchy mansion, there’s a box, right? The one… the one—”

“Ai’er means my mother’s memento? What about that box?”

“Huh… Y-You’re not angry? O.o?”

Hearing Ai’er’s somewhat dazed tone, Elena couldn’t help but let out a soft “pfft” of laughter.

“Silly, why would I be angry? If you hadn’t discovered the Magic Stone on that box, I might never have found a reason to break with Sirius.”

Elena smiled and ruffled Ai’er’s hair. Hearing the silver-haired girl mutter something like “I’m not silly,” Elena only felt that the Ai’er before her was becoming more and more someone she wanted to…

Wanted to…

“Wanted to devour…”

“Hmm? Elena, what did you say?”

“Nothing, I didn’t say anything~ I said—let’s go to sleep quickly.”

The “wanted to devour” she had read about in books—she hadn’t understood it before.

Now it seemed like a truly apt expression.

But… how were things in the Duchy now?

After the assessment the day after tomorrow ends and we leave the Imperial Capital for good, it’ll be time to execute the plan I’ve been preparing for a whole year.

This time, I’ll personally deal with the onslaught of Leviathan and the Monster Tide…

And then take back the Duchy that belonged to my father.