Ayla said, “Until you fall asleep.”
That meant that it would be okay for me to leave once she was asleep.
I was Ayla’s servant, her exclusive maid, and according to Ayla’s words, my working hours lasted until the moment she fell asleep.
However, I couldn’t leave Ayla behind once she was asleep.
It wasn’t just that—I had no way to escape without waking up my ‘master,’ Ayla.
I at least tried.
As I carefully twisted my body to move, the soft, elastic skin that touched my back was intensely stimulating.
It wasn’t just a vague sensation; I could even feel its shape a little.
After all, a woman’s chest isn’t simply a perfect round shape.
And it’s not as if there’s “nothing” on the surface.
Even though I tried my best not to be conscious of that particularly stimulating part, my back was already drenched in sweat.
The weather now was fully spring.
In about a month, summer would arrive.
Even though the nights were still a bit chilly, which was why we slept under a blanket like this…
The addition of a person’s body heat changed things.
Both my body temperature and Ayla’s were warm.
Her body, pressing against my back, radiated heat through the thin silk fabric, soaking my back with sweat.
Of course, Ayla’s chest and stomach were probably sweating just as much, and the two thin layers of silk were now practically nonexistent, clinging tightly to our bodies.
And then—
“Mmhh!?”
Before I realized it, I let out a sound and quickly covered my mouth with both hands.
Ayla had stayed up late.
Her breathing was steady, as if she were asleep.
But I was sure she was pretending.
Whenever I thought she had fallen asleep and tried to slip away, the hands resting on my stomach would tighten.
Gently, pressing against the lower part of my abdomen, right where my uterus would be, the sensation was completely unfamiliar.
Was this area supposed to be a sensitive spot?
I had never heard of that before.
Through training and research, I had developed a decent knowledge of human anatomy.
After all, when fighting, the safest way to survive was to quickly disable an opponent, regardless of their gender.
But I had no idea which touches were pleasurable in such an intimate way.
That wasn’t something I ever learned.
Maybe in a brothel, but for someone in a relationship, isn’t that something they discover naturally?
—Or is it not?
I wasn’t sure.
I had only ever vaguely imagined it.
“Hnn…!”
I clenched my teeth, but a faint whimper still escaped between them.
I pressed my thighs tightly together.
I didn’t think Ayla’s hand would go that far, but for some reason, there was a strange feeling down there…
Ayla’s hand wasn’t just pressing—it moved slowly, up and down, as if soothing a child with a stomachache.
Not only was it not painful, but it also made me intensely aware of the act itself.
I was being teased.
There was no other way to describe it.
Even when I tried to pull my upper body away in defense—
Squeeze.
Ayla’s other arm slipped under my chest.
Her right arm, wedged between the mattress and my side, folded tightly, pulling me into an embrace.
While her left hand only rested on my lower stomach, her right arm held me firmly against her.
The underside of her arm pushed up against my chest, making me blush even more.
I was sure of it—my face must have been burning.
Though I had no way to check, it was that hot.
The body I had leaned forward was now pulled back helplessly.
And at that moment, I clearly realized something.
Ayla was now far stronger than me.
Ayla was tall for a woman.
Of course, compared to my previous height, she used to have to look up at me.
But now, I was slightly shorter than Ayla.
Not as much as before, but still.
And when it came to strength, the gap was even greater.
Ayla didn’t say anything about it.
Even now, she seemed intent on pretending that this was just “sleeping.”
In the end, that was how it went.
No matter what, I couldn’t escape from Ayla’s embrace.
“Hnn…!”
Ayla’s hand kept moving over my stomach, lightly pressing as if shaping the skin beneath.
Was she trying to make me crumble just from her touch?
Did Ayla always have this side to her?
Was it that she had always wanted to tease someone, but just never had the strength to do so?
I didn’t know.
My mind wasn’t working properly.
I only knew that every time I felt like I was about to lose myself, she would stop—
And that made my body burn even more.
At some point, I must have fallen asleep.
“…Lt.”
When had I lost consciousness?
A soft, pleasant voice gently slipped into my ears as I slept deeply.
“Luna.”
Only after hearing the words clearly did I finally snap my eyes open.
I was lying in Ayla’s bed, exactly as I had been the night before.
Ayla, ever so considerate, had even covered me with a blanket.
Thanks to that, though my body, drenched in sweat, felt unbearably sticky, at least I wouldn’t catch a cold.
I could feel my hair plastered to my cheeks.
I must have looked like a complete mess.
If a man saw me, he might even find it satisfying.
“You’re finally awake.”
And right in front of me, Ayla’s face was filled with satisfaction as well.
At the very edge of the bed, lying on my side, Ayla was crouching in front of my nose, watching me.
No, let me correct that. That expression wasn’t one of satisfaction, but rather of relief. I had no idea where or how she was feeling relieved.
She didn’t seem to have washed yet. Unlike me, her hair wasn’t drenched in sweat, and her clothes weren’t wet, but she still had that slightly glossy look of someone who had just woken up.
“Honestly, does it make sense for a maid to fall asleep not in her own room, but in her master’s room?”
I had a lot to say. It wouldn’t be fair to blame everything on Ayla, but still, she should know better than anyone that I cannot escape her commands.
But I am a maid.
If my master speaks, I must obey.
I wouldn’t think of obeying another master, but if it’s Ayla—
Ayla reached out her hand.
And with the tip of her finger, she gently touched my lips.
“Or should I give you a vacation today? Even if it’s a vacation, you’d still have to stay by my side. For your sake, I could refrain from leaving the room.”
Something crawled up my spine at those words.
Two thoughts came to mind.
First, that this was dangerous.
Ayla was still beautiful. No, for some reason, the Ayla I saw this morning looked more beautiful than any Ayla I had seen since we reunited.
The Ayla who had regained her confidence, the one who used to wield a sword alongside me.
But because of that, she now looked like a predator. A feline beast, eyeing me as its prey.
If I stayed here, I would surely be devoured.
And second—
I wondered, would that really be so bad?
Would it be so bad to spend my life this way, with the Ayla I love?
No, that’s not right.
I love Ayla.
But I have not yet fully grasped her. I don’t know what she is unraveling within me or what she is thinking.
So, even if I were to become Ayla’s dog right now, I don’t know whether that would truly be “forever.”
I slowly sat up from the bed. My entire body felt stiff. Maybe it was because—wherever I had been going—I had never reached the end.
If only I had a man’s body.
A woman’s body still has many aspects I do not understand. Since it wasn’t the body I was born with, I don’t know what parts are weak and how.
But perhaps, that ridiculous book Ayla had was actually quite useful.
“Luna.”
“Yes, Lady Ayla.”
I forced myself to regain composure and respond, which only made Ayla’s smile grow wider.
Even though she was crouched beside the bed, looking up at me, I was still utterly powerless before her.
“Do you have no knowledge about such things at all? I mean, have you never resolved anything on your own?”
“Lady Ayla, I…”
“Don’t lie. That’s an order.”
There was no option to remain silent. The choker was already tightening around my neck in obedience to Ayla’s command.
“I… haven’t.”
Was it because I was being choked? Or was I simply too overwhelmed by the situation? I barely managed to utter those words.
“Really?”
Ayla’s eyes widened slightly.
Then, she smiled brightly and said,
“Then, don’t do it from now on either. I’ll teach you everything myself. Understood? And don’t even think about doing it with anyone else. That’s forbidden. That’s an order.”
“Understood, Lady Ayla.”
“You sound much more confident with that answer.”
Ayla chuckled.
“Good. Well, you were the one who said you’d become my doll.”
Ayla stood up and firmly grabbed my hand.
Even when I was a man, Ayla had never held my hand like this.
She used to grab my wrist or carefully hold a few of my fingers at most.
But now, she held both my hands tightly, as if she would never let go.
“Now then, looking like this, you definitely need a bath. Shall we go wash up?”
Ayla smiled as she spoke.
“Understood, Lady Ayla.”
That was the only answer I could give.