CH 116

116 – The assassin consents



We both disguised ourselves lightly and left Orna at different times.



Then we met up at the inn that Maha had booked.



The one she had selected was a pretty high-class establishment.



That inn had good furniture, fixtures, equipment and everything, but more than that, it seemed to emphasize confidentiality.



This was a place that kept its customers’ information private.



Both Maha and I were fairly famous, so there was a lot to take into consideration.



The representative and vice-representative of Orna had higher profiles than some low-ranked noblemen.



If we were simply walking together, we could still declare that we were just discussing business, but we couldn’t let it be known that we were in a relationship.



This inn was equipped with showers.



Though I call it a shower, it was a primitive one where you had to boil the water before putting it in a tank, and the hot water was blown out from the shower head via pressure generated with a foot pump. 



Though it had a simple mechanism, I was grateful for it.



I showered first and waited for Maha to come out.



At her request, I would make love to her as Lugh. She wanted me to embrace her in my true appearance.



The fact that she was taking so long to come out suggested that she was preparing in her own way.



…My heart is racing.



As might be expected from a luxurious inn that was frequently booked for that kind of purpose, it was good at creating the right atmosphere, and most of all, my partner would be Maha.



[I guess I really can’t stay calm…] (Lugh)



Just as Tarte had grown up to be adorable, Maha had grown up to be gorgeous.



Much more than I could’ve imagined from the first time we met.



Tarte was already proof of it, but girls were amazing. They changed from girls to women before they even knew it.



…Nonetheless, if I lose my composure, It’ll make Maha anxious.



I have to calm down.



As I was working on that, Maha came out of the shower room.



My eyes were drawn to her skin, which was flushed from the shower.



And it wasn’t just her rosy skin that drew my eyes in.



[So… what do you think?] (Maha)



[It looks great on you.] (Lugh)



Maha was in her underwear.



It was black with a bluish tint, matching the color of her own hair. 



Its lascivious design suited Maha’s maturity very well and was bringing out her charm.



But before feeling excited, I felt somewhat relieved.



Her choice was so much like her it was comical. It made me think “Ahh, I see. Even in this situation, Maha really is still Maha.”



[Come here.] (Lugh)



[O-Okay.] (Maha)



[You don’t sound like usual.] (Lugh)



[You’re right, I guess I sounded a bit like Tarte just now. …I’m just nervous.] (Maha)



Maha was about to sit down next to me on the bed when she stopped halfway through to fit her body between my legs and lean over me.



[You smell good.] (Lugh)



[I procured some special perfumed oil and applied it after showering. It’s the kind of fragrance that you like, and it beautifies the skin and makes it soft to the touch.] (Maha)



[Underwear and perfumed oil? I see you were rather careful in your preparations.] (Lugh)



Indeed, this kind of prior arrangement was truly typical of Maha.



[I’m not as attractive as Dia-san or Tarte, so I desperately have to dress up if I am to stand in front of you.] (Maha)



[That’s not true at all. They’re both attractive, but you’re just as charming as they are.] (Lugh)



[No, I’m not. Even if I was, I wouldn’t be able to relax unless I did this much, and I want to show you a better version of myself, even if it’s by a little.] (Maha)



Her underwear was the pinnacle of fashion. I believe it was a custom-made article a nobleman ordered from a famous designer, something even Maha would’ve had a hard time obtaining. Her oil was also very valuable.



I was happy that she wanted me to like her as much as possible and prepared accordingly, and I found her sweetness so endearing I hugged her from behind.



I could hear heartbeats.



Not just Maha’s, but mine as well. They were proof of our growing feelings for each other, and even those sounds were lovely music to my ears.



[You’re really sure about this?] (Lugh)



[Yes. Though if I have to say something, asking that kind of question is a no-go.] (Maha)



[Well I see you’re back to normal now.] (Lugh)



That kind of comeback was peculiar to Maha.



[You’re right, I’m feeling a lot more relaxed now. I feel so safe when I’m in close contact with you. I always feel most at ease when I’m next to you, Lugh-niisan. …Say, you used to let me sleep by your side whenever I felt lonely, didn’t you?] (Maha)



[Yeah, I did.] (Lugh)



Both Tarte and Maha lost their families during their childhoods, which was a trauma for them.



That’s why they craved for the warmth of their blood relatives, and I tried to fill that hole in their hearts in my own way.



Thus, I slept together with them on the nights they felt hopelessly lonely.



[Now might be a good time to say it, but there were times when I pretended to feel lonely because I just wanted to become intimate with you. And I think I wasn’t the only one, Tarte must’ve felt the same too. …The two of us have been seeing you as a man for much, much longer than you think. Did you notice?] (Maha)



[No, I didn’t. Or rather, I didn’t try to notice.] (Lugh)



There were plenty of signs.



But because I was treating them as my family, I overlooked them all.



[Tarte was much more obvious about it than I was, though. I mean… There were quite a few times when she would comfort herself while we were sleeping together.] (Maha)



[Didn’t you also do that, Maha?] (Lugh)



[Huh…!? T-That was because Tarte rubbed off on m— Wait! So you knew about that!?] (Maha)



Maha turned around with a loud shout.



Tarte’s activity had reached a level where it was questionable whether she was really trying to hide it, but when Maha was doing it, she seemed to be desperately trying to stifle her own voice and hide it.



Tarte started doing that, then a few nights later, so did Maha. Maybe she thought that as long as Tarte didn’t notice it, she would be safe.



[I’m an assassin. Even in my sleep, I still scan my surroundings for signs of life. So there was no way I wouldn’t know about that. If you want, I can tell you the number of times and the days it happened. Trust me, I’m confident in my memory.] (Lugh)



She blushed even harder, and to show that she was at the end of the rope, she turned her face forward again.



[I don’t need to know that. It’s so embarrassing I feel like dying. You realize my distress yet you ignore it? What a sadist you are.] (Maha)



[I just thought that since you girls were at that age where you had a lot of sexual desire, I would let you do as you wanted. And there’s nothing wrong with what you did. Although, I’m not so sure about using my arms without my permission for that kind of stuff… But the act itself is a good way to relieve stress. It would’ve been inconsiderate of me to be concerned and interrupt you, don’t you think?] (Lugh)



[…This is anything but an act of kindness. What should I do? Now I truly want to die.] (Maha)



She turned her head forward again so I couldn’t see her face, but even from behind, I could tell that she was bright red up to her ears.



[I thought now was a good time to tell you, but maybe I shouldn’t have.] (Lugh)



[Yes, you really shouldn’t have. It’s not fair that I’m the only one who’s embarrassed about it, so next time, I’ll tell Tarte about how you found her out.] (Maha)



So even the normally cool-headed Maha can be mischievous.



I can already imagine that Tarte would be extremely shaken and lose her head.



[I heard somewhere that girls hate talking about other girls in bed, but you seem to really enjoy talking about Tarte.] (Lugh)



[Of course, because it’s Tarte. We’ve been a family for so long, there is no way I would detach myself from her at this point. Besides…] (Maha)



Maha turned over and pushed me down.



I could’ve easily resisted, but I let Maha do as she wanted.



[The real fun is just about to start. Prepping is my forte. I’ve been reading a lot of books and practicing with tools. All so I could pleasure you, Lugh-niisan.] (Maha)



[I see. You’re a real honor student, Maha.] (Lugh)



[Yes. I became one because this is what you demanded from me. So today, I’m going to take care of everything. …I will definitely make you crazy about me, Lugh-niisan.] (Maha)



Maha said that with a smile and kissed me.



Then she pressed her body against mine and whispered into my ear that she loved me.



In that case, I’ll let Maha test the result of her studies.



…However, she was still green. She didn’t understand that there were limits to what she could learn by studying and practicing, and that some things could only be gained on the field.



From this day onwards, we were going to be lovers, but Maha also wanted me to keep being her brother and mentor.



Which is why I decided to give her lessons in that area too.



Looks like this is going to be a long night.