Bersia looked around the royal castle of Baern.
Although it was an unfamiliar place she was visiting for the first time in her life, it didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar.
If there was a reason, perhaps it was because memories of the past surfaced.
A place where the royal family resided, and everyone else existed for their sake, was not strange to Versia at all.
The royal castle of Astalion, where she was born and raised, was not very different in atmosphere from this place.
The benefit of that was that there was no need to feel flustered.
Versia received the attendants’ service with ease.
The maids found her demeanor puzzling yet comforting.
They struck up conversations with her.
“Are you two really siblings who are in love, or is it just a one-sided obsession from the younger sister causing him trouble?”
“If it’s the latter, I have a drastic solution. I can help.”
Their overt flirtation was obvious.
The transparent intentions in their words made her chuckle.
Perhaps taking her laughter as encouragement, some maids started to reveal a bit more skin.
It seemed that people looking to climb the social ladder by snagging a man existed in every royal castle.
“I’m a little busy.”
With that, she restrained their behavior.
To be serving guests in the royal castle meant they were quick-witted.
They swallowed their disappointment and finished their tasks at an unparalleled speed compared to before.
Versia looked in the mirror.
The usher with sky-blue hair was dressed in a light brown banquet outfit.
The attire had golden ornaments attached throughout, and due to the desert climate, the fabric was thin.
The outlines of the muscles were distinct. Normally, only a delicate appearance was visible, but now a masculine side was evident.
If there was one advantage to her changed body, it was being able to admire someone she loved without any guilt.
Of course, Usher would likely call even that blasphemy and keep his eyes tightly shut as he got dressed.
Thinking about him put her in a cheerful mood.
She was curious about how she looked after getting dressed and about Usher’s reaction to seeing himself in her body.
So, as soon as her preparation was complete, Versia went to Usher’s room.
And there, she met him—and froze.
“Y-you came…”
It was absolutely unintentional.
She had scanned him from top to bottom as if licking him with her eyes.
“Please don’t look at me like that… Really…”
Usher’s skin turned red.
He kept his head low, staring at the floor.
Both hands were folded over his navel, a gesture that seemed desperate and pitiful.
A thin outer garment revealed his skin, and beneath it was a non-see-through inner dress that resembled a mini-dress.
A piece of information she had once heard came to mind: “It’s more alluring to hint than to expose completely.”
It seemed to be true.
The braid over one shoulder accentuated his neckline.
Beneath it, his collarbone and the curve of his chest were faintly visible through the sheer silk. The contours of his thighs and calves were apparent beneath the short dress.
The faintly revealed lines of his body created a flow that drew the eye up and down.
Versia stroked her chin.
“Whoever designed this outfit really knows their stuff.”
“Ah, stop it!”
“I mean, seriously, what kind of thoughts must someone have to design such clothes?”
“Please don’t say such things!”
Usher jumped up in surprise. At that moment, Versia’s eyes widened as if they might tear apart.
“Did they cut a hole in the navel?”
“What?!”
His hands, which had instinctively moved away, quickly covered his belly again.
His face, as red as a ripe persimmon, glared at her with trembling indignation, prompting her to speak without thinking.
“Would it be rude if I said I wanted to see a face soaked in shame slowly turn into one filled with pleasure?”
“It is rude! The rudest thing ever!”
Perhaps it was time to stop teasing him.
Versia chuckled softly and approached Usher.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she whispered, “It suits you well.”
“…I-it’s not that it suits me.”
“Exactly. It suits me well. It seems your efforts as a knight running around in my body are paying off.”
She slid her hand down his back, feeling the contours of his muscles.
The clothes clinging tightly to his frame accentuated the lines of his shoulder blades and erector muscles, creating an appealing view.
Every time her hand touched him, Usher flinched.
His cheeks flushed even more deeply, and he averted his gaze.
It was likely for this reason.
It was absurd to feel lust for one’s own body, but such gestures made Usher see the Versia moving in front of him as someone entirely separate.
Being captivated by the person he was with led to possessiveness, and that possessiveness evolved into greed for her physical form.
Did he realize that such alluring behavior made it harder for her to hold back?
“Holy Maiden…”
Usher whispered softly.
He twisted his body, looking up at Versia with moist eyes.
The distance between them shrank, and Usher murmured with a trembling voice,
“P-please stop teasing…”
“…Ah.”
Versia let go of her hand.
She had unknowingly been stroking his back.
Only then did Usher relax his tense body.
However, his demeanor didn’t suggest he was completely okay.
A teary expression appeared on his face.
His breathing was still uneven.
He kept his legs drawn together and his upper body hunched over.
Turning his head away, he spoke as if making an excuse.
“T-this is really dangerous now.”
He bit his lip tightly.
His voice that followed was barely audible.
“…It’s getting harder to shake off.”
As she pondered the meaning of his words, Versia felt a heat rising in her chest.
A wave of warmth surged from within her, and it sparked a sudden impulse.
The thought she had just entertained seemed perilous, prompting her to immediately apologize.
“I’m sorry.”
“P-please be more careful…?”
“I didn’t mean to caress you…”
“Ah, please stop!”
Usher cried out, scrunching his face.
Though his expression was more akin to a pout.
“Just a joke. To lighten the mood.”
“Don’t do that, please!”
“Alright.”
At Usher’s firm tone, Versia obediently nodded.
And so, the incident came to an end.
What Usher had told Versia was no joke.
When Versia had approached and placed her hand on his waist, he couldn’t immediately push her away.
Unknowingly, he had leaned into the sensation of her stroking his back.
Had this prolonged caress reached some threshold?
The reaction it provoked brought about a different kind of tension.
Usher realized the true reason he feared the curse of yearning.
…Because he wanted to lean into it by his own will.
It felt like his mind was being consumed.
In that moment, he wished for his own corruption, but what truly frightened him wasn’t the thought itself.
It was the emotion that arose with the thought.
“……”
…He felt joy. To be honest, it was the first time he had experienced such pleasure in his life.
Without realizing it, he had hoped her touch would linger, just a little longer, in different places.
Wasn’t it horrifying?
Yet, in that moment, it didn’t feel out of place at all.
Rather, it felt as if that was the reason he existed.
This curse made one desire the collapse of their own humanity.
If not for superhuman willpower, anyone else would have succumbed in that instant.
His breathing hadn’t fully returned to normal yet.
A tingling heat remained in his lower abdomen.
Usher gulped down cold water, hoping to cool the warmth within him.
Even that wasn’t enough, so he meditated briefly.
Only then did his mind feel a little clearer.
He pressed his fingers against his furrowed brow.
Sigh…
Should he be even more cautious with physical contact moving forward?
Unless absolutely necessary, it seemed best to avoid touching others entirely.
As he busied himself recovering from the chaos, Versia’s face showed a belated sense of guilt.
Had she not taken it seriously earlier?
Narrowing his eyes, Usher noticed Versia avoiding his gaze.
“…That was too much.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you really?”
“I shouldn’t joke, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I have nothing to say.”
Her smugness was utterly infuriating.
Still, he decided to end the scolding there.
“Let’s go. To the banquet hall.”
They had responsibilities to attend to.
Normally, they would’ve walked arm-in-arm or held hands. It was part of the mercenary “Tia”’s identity and also served to divert attention from Usher being alone.
However, physical contact had become difficult.
Thus, Usher devised a compromise.
“…Well, it’s not entirely outside the original purpose.”
“……”
Usher firmly grabbed the hem of Versia’s garment.
That was how he intended to move alongside her.
When they entered the banquet hall, the plan worked.
The goal was achieved, but at the cost of twice the humiliation.
“There’s Tia, the mercenary who reached the finals with her brother!”
“Clinging to her brother’s clothes like that! Such obsession even in a setting like this…!”
“Did you hear? Rumor has it Tia said something at a drinking party.”
“What did she say?”
“She called her brother the husband their mother gave her.”
“Gasp…! How could a human think that way…!”
Baseless rumors spread throughout the banquet hall.
It certainly drew attention, but at the cost of rising suicidal impulses.
“Hey, you two! Come over here!”
Halia burst into laughter, calling them over.
Usher resented her deeply.