Chapter 2: Arina was defeated.

I asked again, sending her a flustered look.

Ariina blushed, subtly averting her gaze as if embarrassed.

No, perhaps it was just the alcohol.

However, her eyes, filled with the anxiety of ‘What if he doesn’t accept my confession?’, told a different story.

She clutched the hem of her clothes even tighter, unsure of what to do.

I stared at her blankly.

‘What’s wrong with her? Suddenly? Is she confessing?’

As I remained silent, she grew even more flustered and stammered.

Her already anxious gaze deepened further.

“Ugh, I guess it’s too much, right? Someone like me… right, just forget it. I’m sorry. I was just talking nonsense because I’m drunk…”

“Ah, no. What do you mean, ‘someone like me’? I, I…”

‘Damn it, I’m a total novice when it comes to this.’

‘It’s my first time being confessed to by a woman.’

‘And by a woman whose beauty is second to none in the Hero’s party!’

I, too, started to fluster.

Just then, Ariina looked at me with a determined gaze.

It looked like she was about to drop a bombshell.

“I, I’m actually a virgin… and I’ve never even kissed anyone… So, you see…”

It truly was a bombshell.

‘Ariina, who was supposedly the most experienced in romance in the Hero’s party, was actually a virgin and had never even kissed anyone?’

As my face was filled with shock, Ariina took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and shouted.

“I, I! I’ve never even been in a relationship!”

The impact was immense.

My jaw dropped, and the pub owner’s face was etched with shock, as if he’d been struck.

Ariina slowly opened her eyes.

Noticing my expression and realizing something was wrong, she turned completely red and stammered out excuses.

“Ah, no, it’s not like that… Ain?”

‘Was it the alcohol?’

‘Or perhaps because I heard something too shocking?’

‘It was probably because I had six drinks.’

With a crash, I collapsed to the floor.

“Ah, Ain! Ain!”

****

“…”

“…”

Neither of us spoke.

Ariina sat on the bed, her face bright red, and I sat beside her, my face burning.

Ariina carried me on her back all the way to the inn.

Perhaps because she was the Grand Thief of the Hero’s party, a sturdy adult male was no problem for her.

The problem was that I had woken up before we even reached the inn.

‘So, to summarize, Ariina confessed to me, right?’

‘That proud and beautiful… that flower-like woman on a cliff?’

How many minutes of awkward silence had passed?

Feeling like I had to say something, I opened my mouth.

“Ah, Ariina.”

“Uh, yes! Ain!”

Ariina flinched, her shoulders twitching, as if she hadn’t expected me to speak.

“…”

“…”

That was the end of the conversation.

Silence again.

‘I have no idea how to continue the conversation from here.’

‘It’s like my brain has frozen.’

‘Beep, operation suspended. Pshhh…’

Ariina peeked at me.

Her nervousness was palpable.

Then she stammered and spoke in a trembling voice.

“Ain, do you… dislike me too?”

“Ah, no… it’s not that. Isn’t it too sudden? That wedding ring, you were going to give it to the Hero…”

Ariina’s eyes wavered.

She pulled a ring box from within her clothes.

Ariina stared at the glittering ring for a moment, then bit her lip tightly.

“The Hero is married, you know.

Yustia is kind, pretty, and has ridiculously huge breasts… so this ring is useless…”

“Ariina…”

My voice trailed off.

‘I know how much she looked forward to the day she would defeat the Demon King and put this ring on his finger.’

‘Because whenever we were alone, she always talked about the Hero.’

Ariina closed the ring box and turned her head to look at me.

She was forcing a self-deprecating smile, as if to reassure me.

But her eyes were dark with sticky emotions.

“It’s okay, Ain. I’m sorry. I was just too… pathetic…”

With those words, Ariina got up.

Seeing her head for the door, it seemed she intended to leave the inn.

Her face, as she grasped the doorknob, was darker than ever.

I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

As she was about to open the door and leave, I shouted.

“Let’s date!”

Ariina froze.

She slowly turned her head to look at me, her face a mess from crying.

Ariina choked back a sob and struggled to speak.

“H-h-hic… R-really?”

“Yes, really.”

I nodded firmly.

Ariina wore a blank expression, as if unable to comprehend.

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes, I swear on the honor of the Blue Magic Tower.”

“The honor of the Blue Magic Tower…”

She murmured softly.

‘Those were the words I used when I first met the Hero and promised to defeat the Demon King.’

‘Ariina must remember them too.’

Ariina closed the door and slowly walked towards me.

Stumbling drunkenly, yet with purpose.

With her face smeared with tears, she wore a bright smile.

“In that case, Ain…”

“Uh, yes?”

She stopped in front of me.

As she leaned forward, her ample cleavage became visible through her loose clothes.

I swallowed hard at the sight.

Her pink lips, still wet from the alcohol she had just drunk, were alluring.

Ariina chuckled, then leaned her face close to mine.

Through her dark eyelashes, her crimson eyes glowed with a captivating light.

‘That gaze was like a venomous snake spotting its prey…’

I was flustered, unsure of what to do.

Then Ariina grabbed my chin and whispered in a sticky voice close to my ear.

“…I’ll bet mine too.”

And then.

Our lips met.

For a few seconds, my thoughts vanished.

My head spun with the surge of pleasure.

As saliva dripped, Ariina stopped the kiss.

She narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

A gaze drenched in desire, almost obsessive.

“My first kiss.”

****

Chirp, chirp.

Birdsong tickled my ears.

I woke up, sitting up.

I clutched my throbbing head.

‘Ugh, damn it.’

‘My head hurts like hell.’

‘How much did I drink?’

“You’re awake?”

Ariina stretched with a groan, then spoke.

Perhaps because of her firm, lean body, even that action looked quite alluring.

‘Like a cat, I guess…’

‘Wait, why is Ariina here?’

I couldn’t hide my shock.

Ariina tilted her head cutely, looking puzzled at my reaction.

I looked around; it was the inn.

I tried to recall my memories.

‘After the Hero’s wedding, she called me, and I went to a pub…’

–Shall we date?

‘Ah, damn it.’

‘That’s right. Memories began to flood back like a tide.’

‘I came to the inn, accepted Ariina’s confession, and we kissed…’

“Aaaahhhhhhh!”

“Huh?”

Ariina tilted her head again, as if asking what was wrong.

‘Why is she so calm?’

‘Does she not remember it?’

‘Or is it an illusion spell?’

‘Ah, maybe it’s a dream?’

‘Yes, that’s right. Ariina couldn’t possibly have confessed to me.’

“Phew… it was a dream after all.”

“A dream?”

Ariina asked, giving me a puzzled look that said, ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Right, a cute Ariina like this couldn’t possibly have given me such a look.’

I lightly waved my hand, saying it was nothing.

“No, it’s nothing. I just… had a strange dream.”

“Hmm? What kind of dream?”

Ariina narrowed her eyes, asking with interest.

That image overlapped with the desire-filled gaze from yesterday, and I shivered for a moment.

‘The pleasure I felt then.’

‘The sticky saliva.’

‘The smooth tongue.’

‘And the soft lips…’

‘It was too vivid.’

‘But Ariina couldn’t be like that.’

‘Could she?’

I sent her a slightly fearful look.

Ariina grinned playfully, as if she had figured something out.

Something strange resided in her half-closed eyes.

“Are you perhaps thinking yesterday was a dream?”

“Y-yesterday? W-what are you talking about?”

‘Nothing happened yesterday.’

‘Right?’

Ariina approached me, a faint smile on her face.

Then the smell of alcohol wafted strongly.

She poked my cheek with her index finger.

Seeing her smiling face up close, she truly looked like a little devil.

I flinched and moved my body backward.

“W-why are you suddenly…”

“Hmm. Why are you avoiding it? Or are you teasing me?”

“Teasing? That’s impossible.”

“Is that so? Then I guess it’s fine for me to do this, right?”

Her eyes glinted.

Her aura changed.

Ariina came closer and closer.

I slowly moved backward, but something touched my fingertips.

It was the wall.

There was no escape now.

“Ain.”

“Uh, yes?”

“You know who I made a contract with, right?”

“Ah, I know. You made a contract with the Demon of Greed.”

“Then do you know what happens?”

“Ah, no.”

“Watch closely. I’ll show you.”

Ariina was so close that her breath touched mine.

I met her crimson gaze.

Faint breaths of ‘hah, hah’ could be heard.

‘At this point, I can’t help but know.’

‘That what happened yesterday was real.’

‘And what she’s doing now…’

“You’re mine now.”

Forever.

Her eyes gleamed fiercely.