Ch.66Monopoly (5)

*

“If it wasn’t me who entered this forest, would you have fallen in love with that person too, Silvia?”

I know.

Looking back, Ash, you’ve always been rather harsh in evaluating yourself.

Was it because losing your entire family in an instant left such a deep wound? That wasn’t something you could have prevented.

Did failing to protect your little sister strip away all your confidence? Even though you walked that great distance with your battered body, squeezing out the last drop of life to save Laila.

Or was it because you’ve lived comparing yourself to Maria since childhood? Well, Maria is a genius after all.

Seeing your bright, untroubled smile, I don’t think your family only loved talented Maria while mistreating talentless Ash. But perhaps you were the first to judge yourself harshly.

Of course, your magical knowledge is excellent thanks to your hard work, but it’s inevitable to feel intimidated when compared to Maria.

I’m not sure which of these might be the cause.

All three reasons could be correct, or perhaps there are other failures I don’t know about that still weigh on you.

So, I understand.

I understand why you would say such things.

I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, Ash.

You wondered if I, consumed by loneliness, would have easily opened my heart to anyone who came along.

I’m sure you didn’t mean to belittle me like that.

That would be insulting me.

And you wouldn’t do that.

You were just genuinely curious.

Why I love you.

Why would someone like me, so insignificant, be loved by a hero like you?

I know that’s the kind of thought you’re having.

The despair accumulated through repeated failures and your rock-bottom self-esteem have sunk deep beneath your bright smile and kind demeanor, blinding your eyes and ears to how lovable you truly are.

I understand,

So.

“…What are you saying?”

You can understand why I’m angry too, right?

Ash.

*

Silvia gripped Ash’s wrist so tightly it seemed she might break it.

Ash winced in pain, biting his lip slightly as he groaned.

Somehow, that expression looked incredibly erotic.

Silvia firmly pinned Ash’s wrist to the table while tearing at his shirt with her other arm.

Buttons scattered across the cabin with dry popping sounds.

“Silvia!”

“…Is that how you see me, Ash?”

“…Ah,”

“Someone consumed by loneliness who would spread her legs for any man?”

“…No, no, I never thought that, absolutely not,”

Silvia shook her head and yanked up Ash’s shirt, almost tearing it off.

Ash’s arms were bound and raised by the clothing, and the partially lowered shirt covered his eyes.

Silvia caressed Ash’s chest, then suddenly gripped his ribs tightly.

“Aagh!”

“I love you, Ash. I love you, Ash. Don’t you understand what that means?”

“…Ugh, it hurts… it hurts, Silvia!”

Despite Ash’s tearful cries, Silvia continued her outpouring of words.

There was a strange wetness in her voice as well.

“I don’t love you because you’re a housemate who appeared in my lonely life, nor am I pitying a poor boy who lost his sister and family. I don’t like you because you provide me with delicious meals.”

“Silvia…”

“And I don’t have sex with you because I don’t have nightmares after our passionate nights! You…”

I don’t love you because you’re Maria’s brother either.

Silvia swallowed those words that were about to come out.

Come to think of it, why hadn’t Ash asked her about Maria?

He must have been curious about how his sister, whom he had waited for so desperately, had died, what amazing feats she had accomplished, how greatly she had contributed to saving humanity.

Silvia already knew the answer.

It was clearly Ash’s consideration for her.

He never asked about the sister he so desperately wanted to know about, out of concern for the guilt, self-loathing, and trauma of losing a comrade that Silvia would feel if she learned the truth.

It was this quality.

His nature of prioritizing consideration for others over his own desires.

Despite not having spent that much time together, the consideration ingrained in every part of him was enough to deeply touch Silvia’s heart.

How many people would risk their lives and walk for hours with a broken leg for their little sister?

How many people would hold back from asking about a beloved sibling’s last words, considering the pain it might cause the other person?

How many people could comfort Silvia, the very cause of their being trapped in this remote forest under a curse, unable to leave?

How many people in the world would hear such nonsense about being a reward sent by the goddess to ease my loneliness, and still smile weakly, asking if it’s okay for someone like them to be the reward, saying it’s okay for me to be more selfish?

That was why Silvia fell in love with Ash.

A type of person Silvia, who had lived her entire life in struggle and competition, had rarely encountered.

Ash was a lovable person.

And now, he was practically everything to Silvia.

“Silvia… I’m sorry. It hurts,”

“…”

Silvia slowly removed her hands from Ash’s body.

From under the clothes covering Ash’s face came the sound of him biting his lip, trying to hold back tears.

Only then did she carefully examine Ash’s body, noticing the bright red marks swelling where she had gripped his wrist and ribs.

Silvia felt terrible seeing what she had done to him.

For a moment, only the sound of sniffling, despite his efforts to hold it back, filled the cabin.

Silvia carefully approached Ash’s skin, rubbing her cheek against it as she spoke.

“Ash.”

“…Yes?”

“You deserve to be loved much more than you think. Much, much more.”

“…”

Ash didn’t answer.

He seemed unable to accept Silvia’s opinion.

“Or did I seem like someone who would spread her legs for anyone in your eyes?”

“…I’m sorry. What I said was too harsh.”

“Yes, it was a bit harsh. Enough to make me angry. Why did you say such a thing?”

“…Because loneliness is the most tormenting emotion… if it weren’t for that, someone like me…”

“You think I would have loved anyone who could ease my loneliness because I was consumed by it?”

“I’m nothing special…”

“You’re not listening to me, Ash. I’m telling you that you are lovable.”

Silvia gently embraced Ash’s body and said:

“I wasn’t consumed by loneliness.”

“…But.”

“You consumed me, Ash.”

“…What?”

“You hunted and devoured my soul and body that were suffering from loneliness. That’s what I’m saying.”

“…”

“It couldn’t have been just anyone. The only person I could love would be someone like you.”

“…”

“And I’ve never met anyone like you except for you, Ash.”

Silvia tightened her arms around Ash slightly as she spoke:

“Then would you have been satisfied with anyone who saved you?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Unnecessarily honest, aren’t you.”

“If they were as beautiful as you… maybe…”

“…What?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to lie.”

“No. No.”

Silvia shook her head and asked:

“You think I’m pretty? With all these muscles and nothing feminine about me?”

“…I’ve told you many times. I’ve told you many times that you’re beautiful.”

“…”

“…Haven’t I said that before?”

“I don’t think I’ve heard it.”

Silvia tilted her head.

She didn’t seem to remember being complimented on her appearance by Ash, yet somehow felt like she had heard it a few times. It was an ambiguous feeling.

Since only Silvia’s achievements, honor, gallant appearance, or perhaps her unnecessarily flowing platinum hair might be worthy of being called “beautiful,” even if she had heard it several times, she hadn’t thought of it as a compliment to her physical appearance.

Huh,

Was I the same?

Silvia gave a hollow laugh as she looked at Ash.

Her subsided emotions began to simmer again.

“Silvia is very beautiful. I’ve thought so since I first watched you bathing from a distance.”

“…Really?”

“Why do you think I accepted having to live in this cabin for the rest of my life?”

“Well… I thought you had no choice but to accept it…”

“Because I thought it would be nice to spend my life with a beauty like you…”

“…”

Swish, swish,

The sound of fabric brushing against skin echoed through the cabin.

Silvia slowly lifted the clothes that had bound Ash’s hands and face, freeing him.

Then she gently stroked the marks she had made, slowly erasing them with her holy power.

As the cloth covering his eyes was removed and white light poured in, Ash rubbed his reddened eyes and looked at Silvia.

Silvia was still straddling Ash.

Having thrown off the nightclothes she had been wearing.

“I’m going to ravish you until dawn.”

“No… I…”

“I don’t care what anyone says, even if it’s you, Ash. You are lovable, and you are the person I love. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have loved anyone.”

“I feel the same, but right now…”

“I told you. I’m used to competition.”

Silvia’s body collapsed onto Ash’s on the table, overlapping him.

Silvia pressed her chest firmly against Ash’s body and whispered in his ear with a sultry voice:

“I hate having other women in your head. Not just your fiancée, but even your little sister.”

“What are you…”

“I know, I know about respect for the dead and all that. To hell with it, I don’t care anymore. You’re mine, I’m going to monopolize Ash, and you’re going to think only of me.”

“No matter what… that’s a bit…”

“You don’t like it?”

Silvia slowly moved her hand between Ash’s legs.

The heat was so intense she could feel it without even touching.

“While you’re anticipating it like this?”

“…I have no face to show Laila.”

“I see… then when you die and meet Laila later, use my name. Tell her Silvia forced herself on you.”

“…No, that’s”

“But while you’re alive, focus only on me.”

“…Silvia.”

“Not that.”

Silvia gently bit Ash’s ear, then released it, slowly licking his earlobe as she spoke:

“Hiiik,”

“Something else.”

“Mmh…”

“Quickly.”

“…Silvia, sister…”

Silvia stripped off Ash’s pants in one swift motion.

.