Ch.169169. Cat Fight

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“Oh, oh… Riru, who couldn’t even eat when food was served, has grown so much…!”

I could hear the Blue One babbling something behind me.

“…You’re the one who told me to do this in the first place.”

Such grumbling naturally escaped my lips.

“At times like this, you need to be more aggressive than other women!” The one who kept encouraging her was the Blue One behind her.

Of course, part of why things went this far was because Darwood’s attitude was unexpectedly too… “docile.”

“…”

But.

So.

It felt good to pin him down and say whatever I wanted, but.

“…What are you doing, Riru?”

Until the Blue One behind her uttered those words, Riru had been blankly staring down at Darwood while pinning him down.

Only one thought occupied her mind.

“…What am I supposed to do next? H-how do I proceed-?!”

Riru thought with spinning eyes.

No, how would she know without any education?

She’d heard talk about having children and whatnot, but when it came to the actual process, she was completely clueless…!

“…Are you serious, Riru?”

“I-I really don’t know! Grandma never taught me this!”

“…”

She could keenly feel the Blue One floating behind her, looking down with an expression of disbelief.

After staring at her like that for a while, she heard him let out a heavy sigh.

“…Well, I’ve always known you were just a shy person pretending to be tough.”

“Wh-what should I do? Should I apologize and back off now?!”

“If you’ve drawn your sword, you should cut something, Riru.”

How am I supposed to do that?!

Such a scream erupted from within Riru.

“…Cut something, he says. Maybe I should just back off…”

To begin with, she’d already crossed too many lines.

Where had her determination to compete fair and square gone…!

Riru thought this as she looked down with a tense expression.

Then.

“…”

“…”

Darwood.

Squeezed his eyes shut.

It clearly wasn’t a gesture to push her away.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say he was “preparing” for what was about to happen.

“…Oh, oh my.”

This.

This thing is.

“C-can I do this? Is he giving permission?! This is all consensual, right?!”

“…You seem a bit too excited, Riru?”

Though there was more babbling from behind, at least now there was justification to take one more step forward.

Fair and square, that’s what this is. Anyway, that’s how it is!

“…I-in times like this, first…”

Riru gulped dryly as she moved her hand to Darwood’s upper clothing.

She wasn’t sure what to do, but she’d start with whatever came to mind.

The sound of buttons being undone with trembling fingers echoed softly throughout the room.

Coat, vest, and finally shirt.

All of them, opened wide.

The well-trained upper body of a man was fully revealed before her eyes.

“…W-wow…”

Such an exclamation escaped her lips, impossible to suppress.

“…You sound like a teenage boy seeing something naughty for the first time.”

Ignoring that oddly specific comment, she unconsciously ran her hands over the clearly defined muscles.

She could feel Darwood flinching at her touch, the sensation transmitted through every joint of her skin.

And as her fingers crawled across his skin, brushing past his chest,

She felt his heartbeat.

Loudly, very distinctly.

“…”

“…”

Riru looked down at Darwood, who had his eyes tightly shut, with her own eyes wide open.

Yes, he too.

It wasn’t just her who was nervous; he was nervous too.

Because this was his first time as well.

Despite having so many women around him, this was the first time he had gone “this far” while sober.

And.

Right now, she was “monopolizing” that.

The moment she realized this.

“…Mmph.”

Her heart sank with a thud.

Her body temperature seemed to rise by dozens of degrees.

The tingling sensation that had been running through her body and lower abdomen since earlier intensified several times over.

“…”

She lowered her face and pressed her lips against his chest.

It was something she did unconsciously, but the effect was certainly apparent.

She heard him gasp in surprise, sucking in a handful of air—he who had only flinched slightly when she touched him with her hands.

It was a “cute” enough reaction to bring back the fierce smile Riru had worn earlier.

“Hey.”

“…”

No answer.

But Riru took a deep breath and continued speaking.

“Darwood Campbell.”

“…Yes.”

“Shall I continue?”

“…”

“If you’re going to resist, now is your last chance.”

“…”

Still, no answer.

At this, the smile on Riru’s face grew even wider.

Simultaneously, a voice close to a cheer was heard from behind her.

“…We’re going, we’re going…!”

“…”

“We who couldn’t even touch him before, we who could only watch while others tasted and enjoyed…! We’re going…! Leading the way…!”

“…”

This guy, didn’t he just tell her she was too excited?

I don’t understand why his condition is even more serious.

“…Well then.”

Anyway, having come this far, she couldn’t stop now.

Riru glanced down at Darwood’s lower body.

“…Shall I continue?”

“…”

Still, no answer.

Riru gulped dryly.

While she had somehow encountered men’s upper bodies several times before,

From here on was definitely uncharted territory.

It was a place where the mysteries of the human body were concentrated, something she had never encountered in any form—picture or word—throughout her life.

“…Let’s go! This time is different…!”

With such thoughts in mind, Riru brought her hand toward Darwood’s lower body with firm resolve.

Anyway, this consensual act—

Nothing could stop her from this great exploration right now…!

“You lewd woman-!”

That’s what she thought.

Until she was kicked and sent flying by someone.

-!

With the sound of Darwood’s side window shattering, someone nimbly flew into the room.

What followed was a fluid kick, executed with such skill that it was obvious the person was highly trained in martial arts.

Riru, hit by that kick, was sent flying into the wall without even making a sound.

“What, what, what are you doing-?! Pouncing on an amnesiac patient as you please, are all you Empire people this conscienceless!”

Flowing white hair. Daggers gripped in both hands. A student uniform that resembled a formal suit, tightly fitted to the body.

Darwood, lying blankly on the bed with his upper body completely exposed, stared vacantly at the person who had barged in.

“More importantly, senior! Are you alright?!”

He watched as the person said this and hurriedly ran to the bed.

This was also someone he knew.

Certainly, the name was…

“…Miss Serath?”

“Oh, you remember me?!”

“…Pardon?”

Why wouldn’t he remember the name of someone who had visited him in the hospital when he collapsed?

Thinking this as he looked at her, Serath continued speaking awkwardly.

“Well, compared to other women, I’ve known you for a much shorter time. I didn’t think you’d notice me that carefully…”

“…”

“Since there are so many others around you…”

“…”

Darwood clutched his head with an expression of dizziness.

Just how many women were around him that someone would openly say “I thought you wouldn’t remember me”?

“…”

No, wait.

Could it be.

It seems unlikely, but.

“…Um, Miss Serath.”

“Yes?”

“Did I… do something to you as well?”

“…”

Serath scratched her cheek with a troubled expression.

Well, that’s…

How should she put it.

She’s wondering whether she should reveal this or not, but.

“…He looks so desperate.”

Seeing Darwood’s face with tears almost welling up, Serath gulped dryly.

Anyway, this man is her “current assassination target,” but there are many things about him that give her pause.

That’s also why she jumped in to save him just now.

Since he looks like he’d be even more depressed if she completely denied it, it probably wouldn’t hurt to explain vaguely.

“I, well, I was trying to do something bad to you, senior.”

“…What? Something bad? Did I do something to make you resent me…!”

“N-no, I don’t mean you did something bad to me! It’s just that there are some people around who dislike you…!”

Darwood’s mouth fell open.

What on earth had he been doing that there were people who would go so far as to hire third parties to harm him…!

Seeing his expression, Serath hastily continued her explanation.

“No, no, I mean…!”

Serath approached Darwood’s bed while waving her hands, but suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Then she hurriedly covered her eyes with both hands, though her eyes were still clearly visible through the gaps between her fingers—a strange sight.

That’s because.

The moonlight streaming through the window was illuminating his exposed upper body that Riru had just uncovered.

“…W-wow…”

“…”

Didn’t Riru say the same thing earlier?

Is this some kind of ritual when seeing his upper body?

As Darwood was thinking this with a blank expression.

“…You called me lewd, but you’re just the same, aren’t you.”

Riru was walking out from the wall where she had been smashed.

Her eyes were gleaming fiercely, visible even in the dark room.

Serath narrowed her eyes and turned to look at her.

She was certain she had kicked a vital point. She felt the sensation that confirmed she had inflicted enough damage to make the opponent lose consciousness instantly.

Yet, why was she so unharmed?

“…She must be no ordinary person.”

The martial arts of a Grand Assassin are at a level that can easily handle regular knights, at the very least.

Yet this person took a direct hit and appears without a scratch.

She must be at the level of a considerable powerhouse.

“…And you know what.”

Riru continued, brushing back her bangs.

This revealed her forehead with raised veins under the moonlight. She was clearly very angry.

“If you’re barging in so suddenly, aren’t you also following someone without permission? It seems impossible to intervene like this unless you’ve been watching him continuously.”

“…”

Well, that’s true.

Although it’s being done under the pretext of observing an assassination target, the fact is that Serath has been monitoring Darwood’s every move.

“Don’t act so innocent, you voyeur.”

“…I don’t want to hear that from someone attempting rape.”

“…It was consensual.”

“You’re not even denying you were about to cross the line, you crazy woman. Do you have any conscience?”

“…”

“And this ‘consent’ you speak of—isn’t it just your delusion that senior was being lenient?”

At Serath’s words, another vein popped up on Riru’s forehead.

“…Judging by how you kicked someone without warning, it seems you’re also used to resolving matters violently.”

She continued, her cheeks trembling.

“Follow me to the rooftop, bitch. Are you that good at fighting?”

“…”

Something.

Something is escalating.

Darwood thought as he blankly looked at the two of them.

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