Chapter 157 – The Witch and the Black Knight (34)

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“So this is the sea.”

Edel stood on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean, taking deep breaths as he admired the view.

You’d think the demon realm would have seas too, but he’s acting like he’s never seen one before.

The ocean breeze tousled his hair, making him look like he’d stepped straight out of a painting. For a moment, I was mesmerized, until he cupped seawater in his hands and gulped it down.

“Salty.”

“Of course it is! The ocean’s saltwater! You can’t just drink it, do you know how bad that is for you? Here, rinse your mouth with this.”

I handed him a bottle of fresh water as he grimaced at the taste.

We’d made a promise to visit the beach together, so I’d brought him to this secluded shore I’d scouted long ago. But chugging seawater right off the bat? This is going to be a long day.

At this rate, I’d have to teach him basic common sense before we could even think about a proper date.

“So? First impressions of the ocean? Is this really your first time seeing it?”

“The demon realm has seas, but they were just battlefields. Admiring the scenery… yes, this is new. The ocean is beautiful.”

His gaze lingered on the endless horizon.

Good. A blank canvas is better.

If I saw someone else’s marks on him, I’d be tempted to erase them.

“Ehehe. So? What’s the first thing you wanted to do here? You must’ve had a reason for wanting to come.”

“The first thing, huh?”

“Mhm. Just say it. I’ve got everything prepared.”

I circled around him eagerly.

His answer was probably straight out of a fairy tale anyway.

At best, he’d want to eat seafood, nap in a hammock, swim, build a sandcastle, or have a campfire—right?

I’d never been to the beach with Josie, so I was looking forward to this too.

“First, I want to wear a swimsuit.”

“A swims—what?”

Did I hear that right?

I stopped mid-step and stared at him.

Since when did swimsuits enter the conversation?

They didn’t even exist in Aria Chronicle’s second arc. Where had he even learned about them?

Edel pulled out a book from his coat, flipped through the pages, and pointed at an illustration.

It depicted Sion and Aria visiting the beach after defeating a mid-boss, both clad in swimsuits, with a helpful arrow labeled “Swimwear” in my own neat handwriting.

Oh.

Oh no.

I remembered now. When I’d written that book, I’d taken some creative liberties, like adding swimsuits that didn’t exist in the original timeline.

Why. Why did I do that?

“Just as armor is worn for battle, swimsuits are for the beach. Even if this is just ‘dating practice’, I want to do it properly. Wouldn’t that help me understand pure love better?”

“I-I mean… I guess?”

He even invoked “pure love” to cut off my escape. His cunning was getting sharper by the day.

“Then you must have prepared swimsuits, right? I’d like to change quickly. And of course, you’ll wear one too.”

Well… I do have swimsuits.

I’d made some for Josie, Leo, and myself, hoping we’d visit the beach together someday. Edel and Leo were about the same size, so it should fit.

And mine too.

It’s just a swimsuit. It’s not like I’m showing off my underwear.

I wasn’t the type to get flustered over something like this.

“You want me to wear one too?”

“If only I wear it, can we really call this a beach date?”

“W-Well, that’s true, but… there’s kind of a problem…”

The reason I was hesitating?

I’d gained a little weight recently.

Okay… a lot.

And in very specific places.

The reason was obvious, Edel’s cooking was too good.

Between the meals he prepared and the meat he’d fed me directly, I’d… expanded.

I’d enchanted my clothes with concealment spells, so it wasn’t noticeable at a glance. But after my fight with Vempir, when I’d undone the spells to change outfits, the fabric had ripped.

If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have taken Mom’s breast-enhancing potion. At this rate, I’ll need a potion to shrink them.

And it wasn’t just my chest—my waist, my arms… everything felt softer.

I wasn’t ashamed of showing skin, but the thought of jiggling in front of Edel was mortifying.

“I-I think I’ve gained weight… It’s your fault.”

My voice was barely above a whisper.

Just saying it out loud made my face burn.

If there were a hole nearby, I’d crawl into it.

Wait—why was I embarrassed? Gaining weight wasn’t something to be ashamed of!

The rational part of my mind tried to argue, but the emotional, flustered part of me smothered it instantly.

“You’ve gained weight?”

Edel’s gaze swept over me from head to toe, and I instinctively hunched my shoulders.

Even though I was fully clothed, I felt naked.

“Y-Y-Y-You—! That look is sexual harassment, you know?! I could just kill you right now!!”

If it were anyone else, I’d have gouged their eyes out.

“Is this sexual harassment too? My apologies. I still don’t fully understand the concept, but I didn’t mean it that way. If you’re uncomfortable wearing a swimsuit because of your weight, we don’t have to.”

Shouldn’t you at least pretend I haven’t gained weight?!

Now it sounds like you’re admitting it too!

“Are you saying I’ve actually—!”

I was about to yell when—

“From my perspective, you don’t look like you’ve gained weight at all. If anything, you’re still slender. But even if you had, it wouldn’t matter. No amount of weight could ruin a date with you.”

“……”

Edel knelt on one knee, meeting my eyes, and gently ruffled my hair.

Like scratching an itch I couldn’t reach, my anger melted away.

What am I supposed to say to that?

My face burned for a different reason now.

“A date should be enjoyable for both of us. We can save the swimsuits for when we experience true love.”

“No. Let’s wear them.”

I yanked him back down by his collar, forcing him to kneel again as I glared at him.

He said I hadn’t gained weight.

That I was still slender.

Ehehe.

How could I refuse after that?

Guess he’s still a man at heart, huh?

Was he that eager to see me in a swimsuit?

“Here, Edel. Your swimsuit.”

I pulled a pair of swim trunks from my dimensional inventory and handed them to him.

Black, simple, and roomy enough to accommodate his build. The color suited the Black Knight perfectly.

“Ah, wait—let me add one enchantment.”

A sudden thought made me hastily scribble a spell onto the fabric.

Edel had a… reaction when facing strong opponents. A very noticeable one.

I wasn’t about to pass out because his sword decided to make an unscheduled appearance.

“Are you sure about this? You don’t have to force yourself.”

Even as he took the swimsuit, his worried gaze lingered.

I flashed him a confident grin.

“Ehehe. Didn’t you say I hadn’t gained weight? That I was still slender? Or… were you lying?”

“I don’t lie.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll change behind those rocks. Don’t even think about peeking. If you do, I’ll seal you away on the spot. Understood?”

I turned to leave but paused, a mischievous thought crossing my mind.

“Oh, and—you’d better properly evaluate how I look in this swimsuit. It’s… my first time wearing one too.”

“Wait—isn’t that sexual harassm—”

I skipped off before he could finish.

I leaned against the rocks, taking deep breaths instead of undressing immediately.

I’d threatened him with sealing and all, but Edel was still dangerously oblivious about boundaries.

I couldn’t let my guard down.

What if he sneaks over?

Peeking around the rock, I checked—

“E-Ed… huh?”

Contrary to my expectations, Edel was obediently stripping right where I’d left him.

Layer by layer.

Starting with the coat I’d made for him, then the tailored shirt beneath…

The first thing I noticed were the scars.

Dozens of them, large and small, covering his torso.

And the muscles they stretched over—

Gulp.

I swallowed hard.

Was that my saliva? Or was I drooling?

Doesn’t matter.

What mattered was—

His pectorals could put some women to shame.

His abs were so defined I could probably do laundry on them.

Maybe I should ask him to let me try later—

WHAT AM I THINKING?!

The rational part of my mind screamed, but the emotional side had already donned 3D glasses and was munching popcorn, thoroughly engrossed in the show.

By the time Edel moved to remove his pants—

Pants.

His pants.

H-His—

“A—A demonic sword?! Eek!”

I ducked behind the rocks, curled into a ball, and buried my face in my hands.