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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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“I’m such an idiot…”
Sleeping with a friend, in the heat of the moment… it was a bad idea.
I had teased her relentlessly, pressing her “buttons” until she was exhausted, and I had only… once. Was it my fault?
And that strange sensation… that warmth… what was it?
Her unusually high body temperature, her glowing eyes… River, the protagonist’s rival, clearly had hidden depths. I thought about it, but my main concern wasn’t the Sword Saint. I had slept with his fiance(e), but River had told him that he would not do anything until she graduates, and he would not be able to anyway. The captain of the Royal Knights would not let that happen.
“When River graduates… or maybe this year… if things don’t work out… I’ll just have to fight him.”
The Sword Saint would be furious. But I’d tell him how amazing his fiancé(e) was. It would be a mental attack. He was a Master, far more experienced than I was, but I wasn’t afraid.
“Mm…”
River stirred in her sleep, oblivious to my thoughts. Her naked body, illuminated by the moonlight, was covered in marks. Love bites on her neck and chest, red handprints on her back and hips. It was… real.
I lay beside her, watching her sleep. The bed was… a mess. I had to clean it.
“Now… let’s gather some mana…”
-Hum
I hadn’t used magic in a while, focusing on my swordsmanship. But I knew enough to clean this mess.
“Clean!”
A blue light emanated from my hand, erasing the stains, the fluids, everything. ‘Clean’ was a useful spell.
River woke up, sensing the magic.
“Mm… Atlas…?”
“You’re awake. Want to shower?”
“….”
She sat up abruptly and began punching me. She looked furious. “Ow! Hey, why are you hitting me?!”
What was this about? Did it hurt that much? Or was it because I kept pressing her clit, or was it because I had unbuttoned her bra?
I let her hit me. Her fists, initially strong and steady, began to tremble. She was… crying? “It hurt…! I was a virgin… and you just…!”
So it was the pain. “You’re an Expert, you should be tougher than that.”
“You wouldn’t understand! It hurt more than being stabbed!”
She sounded like she’d been stabbed before. Was it that similar?
“There, there.” I pulled her into my arms, and we fell back onto the bed. She was taller than me, so her face was buried in my chest.
The height difference… wasn’t that noticeable, like this.
“There, there, good girl.”
“Mmm…”
I stroked her hair. Her sobs subsided. I wasn’t going to apologize, though. It was her fault, for provoking me. She looked up at me, her eyes still teary.
“Don’t think you can get away with this. And Atlas, you weren’t a virgin, were you?!”
“Of course not.”
“That’s not fair! I thought… we were both…!”
She seemed disappointed. Had she wanted us both to be virgins? I was hundreds of years old, across two lifetimes. I’d had my share of experiences.
“Why did you think that?”
“Because… you’re not like other guys… You don’t flirt… you’re… aloof…!”
She mumbled, embarrassed.
“But… wasn’t it… good?”
“I don’t know…!”
She turned away, her face red, clearly remembering our… encounter. She was sulking. I sat up, turning her around. She glared at me.
“Want to kiss?”
I wasn’t going to apologize. I offered her another kiss. She looked surprised, then nodded.
“…Okay.”
She wasn’t happy, but she didn’t refuse. Our lips met, a soft, gentle kiss. Our tongues touched, a brief, sweet caress. She seemed calmer now. Easy.
“…River, want to hear a secret?”
“What is it?”
“How old do you think I am?”
I might as well tell her. It would make things easier.
“If you’re going to say you’re older than seventy… just shut up.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then… how old are you?”
“24… I think.”
She looked surprised. “You’re lying… You’re four years older than me? Not younger?”
“Does it show?”
“…I’m not calling you ‘oppa’.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“I… don’t believe you… huh?”
She gasped, looking down at her thighs. A white fluid was trickling down her leg. “Ah…”
She touched it, her finger tracing the sticky trail. Seeing it on her fingers, so close to her face… it was a strange feeling.
“It’s… leaking… If it goes inside… a baby… right?”
I almost said it was her fault, for trapping me, but I stopped myself. It was pointless. I was the one who was at fault, it was her first time.
She wiped her thighs and mumbled, “What if… a baby…?”
She seemed… scared. I said, calmly, “If that happens, I’ll take responsibility.”
Silence.
I turned to look at her. Her face was red, hotter than before.
“R-responsibility…? Do you… understand… what that means?!”
“I do.”
“You… you’re saying… you’ll marry me…?!”
She was flustered. Was it that surprising? “You’re already engaged.”
“That’s why I’m saying this!”
She looked serious. “Don’t be ridiculous! I have a fiancé(e)! Don’t worry…! We… we had fun… that’s all…!”
“If it happens, it happens. Relax.” It was just a hypothetical scenario.
She laughed awkwardly. “R-right? I was overreacting…”
She hid under the blanket, embarrassed. “Umm…” She peeked out, her eyes glowing again. “If you’re… not satisfied… we can… do it again…”
She was offering herself to me, after all that. I was… aroused. Was this normal?
We did it four more times, before dawn.
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River was showering, letting the hot water wash over her exhausted body. It wasn’t as painful as the first time. And Atlas hadn’t been as rough, either. She had come, multiple times. She felt… lightheaded, her body still tingling. The memories of the night flooded back.
‘I… slept with Atlas…’
Her first time had been painful, that first intrusion. A sharp, searing pain, like a knife twisting inside her. And Atlas, oblivious to her pain, had been… unsympathetic. Had she offended him by mentioning his size?
He had been rough, but… gentle, too. His embrace had been comforting, his words reassuring. “…I asked for it.”
The pain had faded quickly, when he held her. Was it because she was an Expert? She could still feel the heat in her core, a lingering warmth from his release. It shouldn’t have been that hot, but… it was. She had tried to clean herself, but she couldn’t reach… inside. And if that warmth… meant… a baby… what would the Sword Saint do, if she carried another man’s child?
She remembered Atlas’ words.
‘If that happens, I’ll take responsibility.’
Did he mean it? Atlas… he was always so… serious. “It’s fine now.”
She had lost her virginity to someone she… liked. And that was enough.
