Growburn Village – Suspicion (3)

-Thud, thud, thud!

Annie dragged Jade away from Rena, running toward the opposite direction before ducking behind a building.

“Let’s wait here for now.”

“Annie, what’s going on all of a sudden?”

“Just wait.”

Without answering Jade’s question, Annie peeked from behind the wall, silently watching Rena and Karlson walk away.

“Phew… Looks like they’re gone.”

When the two completely vanished from her sight, Annie turned back to Jade.

“What’s going on? Something Rena shouldn’t hear?”

“Jade, doesn’t the relationship between Rena and Karlson-ssi feel strange to you?”

“Between them?”

Jade pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Well… now that you mention it. Rena’s been treating him too harshly since last time. Even though Karlson-ssi made a mistake when they first met, he seems genuinely remorseful…”

Jade wore an awkward expression, likely recalling how Rena had humiliated Karlson.

“Right? But the funny thing is, they actually spend a lot of time together. If she really disliked him, she’d avoid him. Don’t you think there’s something going on?”

“Uh, you think so?”

“Exactly!”

Annie suddenly slapped her forehead as if remembering something.

“Come to think of it, when the carriage stopped earlier, Rena and Karlson-ssi went to ‘take care of business’ together.”

“Listening to you, it does seem odd… But isn’t it just a coincidence? Why would Rena do something like that?”

“Because there’s something between them!”

“Haven’t you been reading too many weird novels? If what you’re saying is true, it’s like they’re secretly dating or something.”

But Jade didn’t agree with Annie’s theory.

“Th-that could be possible!”

“Sigh… What do you take Rena for? They’ve only known each other for a few days – why would she suddenly start dating him? And though it’s awkward for me to say this…”

Jade blushed mid-sentence.

“Last time, Rena personally fed me food. Wouldn’t it make more sense that she has feelings for me rather than Karlson-ssi? She even gave me a special gift in the carriage.”

“A gift? You got something from Rena too?”

“Haha, I did, but it’s a secret. Anyway, your worries are just pointless speculation.”

What a carefree guy. Since when do people’s feelings never change? Annie lowered her head and sighed deeply in her heart.

Expecting anything from him was my mistake. He’s not completely oblivious, but when it comes to Rena, he becomes unbearably dense.

Moreover, Jade had been dedicating all his free time to training lately. While she understood the burden he felt as the Hero, it was still disappointing.

No wonder Jade hadn’t noticed Rena’s condition.

‘My intuition is right!’

Her gut feeling insisted.

Rena’s excessive rejection of Karlson-ssi was actually hiding something between them.

What if their secret was budding affection, trying to keep it hidden from us?

In the romance novels she’d secretly read behind her brother’s back, couples pretending to be enemies while secretly dating was common.

‘What if Rena gets stolen away!’

Annie had been praying for Jade and Rena to get together soon.

Anyone who saw how they cared for each other at the Academy would naturally root for them.

“There’s only so much I can do alone. Please help me investigate a little.”

Annie grabbed Jade’s arms and shook them pleadingly. Jade finally nodded.

“Fine, but let’s first go find a store to get groceries. It’s getting late.”

“Tch…”

Seeing his reluctant agreement, Annie realized Jade wouldn’t truly help her.

In Annie’s mind, any real man would prevent other men from approaching the woman he liked.

But Jade seemed completely unaware of any danger.

‘If that’s how it is, I’ll uncover this myself!’

Annie resolved to discover Rena’s secret alone.

**

Annie began surveilling Rena throughout their stay in the village. Whenever Rena moved somewhere, Annie would follow.

Once, when Rena was training in the open space before the inn, Annie hid behind a tree to secretly watch.

‘What if she secretly meets Karlson-ssi during training?’

“Rena, you’ve reached 5-Star too?”

“I can’t be a burden to you as the Hero. I worked harder.”

“Let’s spar lightly without mana first.”

“Alright. Now that you’re the Hero, I won’t go easy like before.”

Rena was training while chatting amiably with Jade.

‘This can’t be…’

Maybe her speculation was wrong. Annie began feeling uneasy.

Still, Annie persistently followed Rena.

Annie saw Rena heading toward the first-floor restroom of the inn.

Is she meeting someone in the restroom?!

Imagining all sorts of scenarios, Annie crept closer to observe.

Of course, nothing happened in the restroom.

**

Annie watched Rena reading a book in the inn’s first-floor lounge.

Then crisis struck.

Rena closed her book and started approaching Annie.

Despite Annie’s caution, her untrained tracking skills left much to be desired.

“Annie, did you want to tell me something? You’ve been following me.”

“!!”

Annie panicked at Rena’s sudden approach.

Was my stalking too clumsy?

I thought I blended in naturally. If this continues, she might discover I suspect her.

Deciding to brazen it out, Annie pretended nothing was wrong.

“No! We just keep crossing paths. How funny!”

“Really? But your magic book… you’re holding it upside down.”

“Huh? Uh…”

-Clatter!

Annie hurriedly flipped the book.

“…Thanks for telling me.”

“If you have something to say, you can tell me. Understood?”

“Mm…”

Though Rena gave Annie a strange look, she didn’t press further.

I need to be more careful.

Annie sighed in relief, patting her chest after narrowly avoiding disaster.

**

Annie lay on her bed, tapping her forehead with her staff.

-Tap, tap.

This was one of her habits when things weren’t going well.

“It can’t be a misunderstanding…”

After surveilling Rena all day with no results, midnight arrived.

If anything, Rena seemed to be keeping more distance from Karlson-ssi. Did she notice my surveillance?

“Ugh. Let’s just sleep.”

As Annie gloomily prepared for bed-

-Creeeak.

A door opening sound reached her ears.

‘Could it be?’

Annie rushed to her door, carefully opening it to peer through the crack into the hallway.

A human silhouette was faintly visible in the darkness. Annie identified the figure.

It was Rena.

Looking around anxiously as if worried about being seen, she walked cautiously down the hall.

Where could she be going at this hour?

Annie quietly began tailing Rena.

Rena eventually stopped before someone’s door.

‘That’s… Karlson-ssi’s room?’

Annie silently cheered.

Finally, her chance to uncover the secret between Rena and Karlson that had troubled her all day.

‘Wait, Rena visiting a man’s room at night…?’

-Knock. Knock.

Rena gently rapped twice, careful not to wake other guests.

-Whoosh!

The door immediately opened, revealing Karlson.

“You came. Come in.”

Karlson grabbed Rena’s arm and pulled her inside.

Creeeak― Thud.

Perhaps Rena closed it too hastily?

The door didn’t fully shut, leaving a gap.

Annie crept closer and peered through the crack.

“Hup!”

Annie stifled a scream at the astonishing scene.

Rena was rapidly undressing before Karlson.

Annie rubbed her eyes, thinking she must be mistaken. But the scene remained unchanged.

While Annie stood frozen in shock, Rena removed her underwear and stood completely naked.

“I’ve been holding back since earlier…”

“How impatient. Since I pleased you last time, how about serving me today?”

Karlson lay back on the bed, interlacing his fingers behind his head as he watched Rena.

“You know what to do, right?”

“…You’re cruel.”

Rena approached and pulled down Karlson’s pants. As his clothes lowered, an enormous pillar sprang forth.

-Sproing!

‘That’s a man’s genitals…?’

Annie couldn’t hide her shock at her first sight of a penis.

Far larger and more grotesque than she’d imagined. The faintly visible surface veins looked terrifying.

Could all that really fit inside Rena’s body?

While Annie gaped, Rena stood naked above Karlson’s erection. She experimentally tapped the shaft with her hand.

Karlson’s penis briefly bent before springing back upright like a weighted toy.

“Still lively today?”

“Seeing Miss Rena, no man could stay soft.”

“If you’re like this after last time, you’re truly a beast.”

Rena stopped playing and gripped the shaft with one hand. She rubbed the glans against her entrance, adjusting the angle.

But insertion proved difficult. She grunted while rubbing the penis against herself for several seconds.

“Having trouble?”

“J-just wait…”

“You tease and provoke me so confidently, yet seem inexperienced when it comes to sex.”

“Ugh…”

Karlson watched Rena’s clumsy attempts with amusement.

“Got it!”

Finally aligning correctly, Rena slowly began lowering herself.

Squelch―

“Haaah…”

Karlson’s penis gradually disappeared into Rena’s lower body.

“Hah, haa…”

Rena paused halfway, catching her breath. The sizable penis seemed too much to take at once.

But Karlson didn’t just watch.

“Struggling? Let me help.”

“W-wait!”

He grabbed Rena’s waist and slammed her down.

-Schlurp!

“Haaaang?!”

“How is it? Deeper than other positions, right?”

“Hueh, haaaah…”

Rena couldn’t answer. She just trembled, panting from the pleasure of his penis pounding against her cervix.

‘What is this?’

-Thud.

Annie’s legs gave out, collapsing to the floor.