Chapter 33: Token of affection

“Th…thank you…for yesterday…”

“…Oh my.”

“Hmm…”

A heavy silence fell over us as I exposed my stomach, my eyes tightly shut. As the silence stretched, my rationality returned.

I realized what I’d done. I would never have done something like this normally. Had I gotten caught up in the moment? But it was too late to back out now, not after my conversation with Sara.

I cautiously opened one eye.
Colorful eyes stared at my exposed stomach, wide with surprise.

Had I done something shocking? Why were they so surprised? Even Sara, who’d suggested this, looked stunned. I felt like the only one in the wrong.

Or had I inadvertently triggered some strange fetish of theirs?

I looked down at my stomach. Reddish marks covered my soft flesh, like bruises.

I was used to them. I’d seen them while bathing. They were probably…love bites from Sister.

We must have…shared some sisterly affection that night, though I didn’t remember. Sister often gave them to me, saying it was normal between sisters. They couldn’t possibly be surprised by this.

I covered my stomach again.

“What…are those?”

“Now that I look, there are marks on her neck too…”

They whispered amongst themselves.

“Wait a moment.”

Linne stopped them and strode towards me. She bent down and…

Slurp—

“Hngh?!”

She sucked on my neck. A sharp stinging sensation made me moan involuntarily. The wet, slimy feeling was unpleasant. I’d just been…molested.

“Y…you pervert…”

Tears welled up. I could barely speak.

She’d left a mark, covering Sister’s love bite with her own. How disgusting.

Linne seemed unconcerned, casually wiping my neck with her sleeve.

“It’s the same mark, right?”

She asked the others. Sara and Nina’s eyes widened.

Were they really that surprised by these marks? What kind of sheltered lives had they led?
Linne removed her hand from my neck and looked at me, her eyes questioning.

“Did…that senior do that to you…yesterday?”

“No!”

“Then what are these marks?”

“My…sister probably did it.”

Crash!—

Sara dropped a crystal ball, shattering it into pieces.

I jumped. When did she even get that? I hoped it wasn’t expensive.

Nina’s jaw dropped. I noticed her teeth were normal, surprisingly well-maintained for a wolf beastkin.

They all looked disbelieving. Didn’t they have sisters?

Linne seemed unfazed.
Or maybe she was just too stupid to understand. The idiot nodded in agreement with my thought.

“Well, these things happen between sisters.”

“Hee hee, you understand.”

Linne was making sense for once. A Linne who didn’t say anything stupid…was she possessed?

Linne slowly extended her hand, a soft glow emanating from it. I watched, curious.

It was healing magic, but the radiant light captivated me. It was completely different from Sister’s healing magic, in form, color, and even feeling.

Linne’s magic was warm. Her hand, lifting my shirt, glowed with a gentle light. As if encouraged by her touch, my skin revealed itself, a pale, soft expanse.

“Huh?”

When did that happen?

A cold sweat trickled down my back.

I hadn’t even sensed her approach. If she wanted to assault me, I’d be pinned to the ground already.

Thank goodness she was an idiot. She was just…removing my clothes.

“Eek! What are you doing, you pervert?!”

“What are you talking about, Ellie? I need to heal you.”

I tried to escape, but she caught me, lifting my shirt and exposing my stomach to everyone.

“Stop! Let go!”

“If you keep struggling…”

Linne grabbed my wrists and lifted them above my head, forcing me into a helpless “hands up” position.

“Wh…what are you…”

This was mortifying. Trapped, unable to move, standing on my tiptoes… It felt like a preview of what was to come.

She held both my wrists in one hand. How strong was she?

Defeated, I said,

“P…please be gentle…”

“Don’t worry, you’ll feel better soon.”

A large hand slipped inside my shirt, gently massaging my stomach. A warm sensation spread through my body.

“Hngh…”

Tears welled up, but I bit my lip, refusing to cry.

I wouldn’t be swayed by this. She might take my body, but she wouldn’t take my heart.

“Sob…hngh…”

Her touch lingered, moving from my chest to my lower abdomen, her warm hands kneading my flesh. My tense body relaxed under her touch.

Even more frightening, my resolve was weakening as well. I was passively accepting her touch, my eyes unfocused.

“There, all done.”

“Oh…”

Perhaps that was why… I felt a pang of disappointment when she withdrew her hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“N…nothing!”

I quickly shook my head, dispelling the absurd thought. I pulled away from her, putting some distance between us.

I checked; the reddish marks were gone. My stomach was smooth and unblemished. A quick peek under my skirt confirmed the same.

“All healed. Your neck too.”

Linne pointed at her own neck.

It seemed to be true. The lingering ache in my lower abdomen was gone. But I was still suspicious. Who gave her permission to erase Sister’s marks? And she definitely had ulterior motives.

A question came to mind.

“…But…”

Something didn’t add up. She’d healed my entire body, my neck and thighs included, just by touching my stomach. If she could do that, then why…

“Why did you have to touch my stomach to heal me?”

And my bare stomach, no less.

“That’s because…”

Linne paused, as if considering her answer. Then she said casually,

“It’s my favorite.”

Her favorite spot to heal?

It sounded plausible, but coming from Linne, it felt…ominous.

“What do you mean, ‘favorite’?”

“Exactly what I said. It feels nice to touch.”

What?

Her blunt response stunned me. I instinctively covered my stomach with my arms.

“You…pervert!”

“…What?”

Gasp.—

Her slight frown was enough to send shivers down my spine. I trembled involuntarily.

Was she angry? Had I gone too far? Should I offer her my… “favorite” spot as a peace offering?

As I contemplated sacrificing my stomach to appease her, she frowned and asked,

“Why do you keep calling me a pervert?”

I was in trouble.
One wrong word, and I was dead.

No, calm down. I could handle this.

I wouldn’t grovel before a pervert. I’d speak my mind, even if it was my last act.

With newfound resolve, I declared,

“Because you keep…to…touching me! Without my permission!”

It was mortifying to admit, to describe my own molestation to the perpetrator.

Linne tilted her head, then said with a perplexed expression,

“Isn’t that normal between friends?”
“What…?”

What had I just heard?
Friends?
She considered touching me without permission…normal?

But her absurd logic didn’t stop there. She continued,

“People who think these things are strange are the perverts. You’re the pervert, Ellie.”

Her words hit me like a physical blow.

I was speechless.