Chapter 147
A dormitory with lights out.
In darkness where not even a point of light entered, faint signs of life occasionally echoed.
It was pitiful breathing.
"Ugh..."
A faint heat leaked out.
A thoroughly disheveled appearance.
Red hair flowing down embroidered the blanket.
In scenery like petals had fallen and remained, a girl was sprawled on the blanket.
It was none other than the rose.
"Haa, haa..."
Rough repeated breathing.
Turbidity mixed in her green eyes resembling leaves.
I was gently stroking the girl's stomach.
Regular treatment carried out each time.
It was a process of loosening the mana accumulated in the lower abdomen and relaxing tense surrounding muscles.
My fingertips gently extended caressed snow-white skin.
Swish-.
"Hik, ugh..."
Following that.
A quiet moan bloomed between tightly bitten lips.
The rose exhaled breath along with mixed heat.
Her gaze wavered.
I asked mischievously.
"Why are you holding back your voice? There's no one but us in the room anyway."
"Don't, say, haa, useless things... just, finish, quickly."
Only the two of us were in the spacious dormitory.
Originally it was a place Elise, Charlotte, and the dedicated maid Tanya lived together, but the other two had vacated for treatment.
They probably wouldn't come in from outside for at least 3 hours.
In other words, it meant there was no need to particularly kill her moans like now.
But for some stubbornness, the rose maintained consciousness even while panting.
As if she wouldn't lose.
"I don't understand the meaning, but..."
"Really, annoying."
The girl's attire was close to half-naked.
The covered area was that small.
It was a normal negligee-type nightgown, but the clothes were lifted to show her stomach.
Obstacles had to be minimized for treatment.
Of course, it was difficult to cover the body with such thin cloth.
Therefore, the rose only barely hid the tips at the end while revealing curved lines and the underside of her breasts.
Her cheeks that had been pale were now as red as her hair and flower petals.
Was that flush shame?
Or afterglow?
I had no way of knowing.
I just continued the treatment.
"As you command."
My hand touched her lower abdomen.
Shadows seeping sluggishly beyond the skin.
Right after, Elise's focus melted.
It was because her body had become highly sensitive. Sensitivity increased nearly 2 times more than usual.
As the tangled mana loosened accordingly, a snow-white shiver flashed.
The girl's lower body twitched.
"Hyak...!?"
Her waist lightly bounced.
I firmly pressed down on her bouncing lower abdomen while holding the rose's shaking hand.
Every time her abdomen was pressed, an electric current flowed down Elise's spine.
Her gaze wavered in a loosened state.
Was it due to the intense stimulation?
Moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes.
I stroked the girl's hair as if soothing her.
As if saying she was enduring well.
"It's almost over."
Sweat flowed down.
The damp heat dirtied the blanket, and a thick body scent spread in the room.
Faint breathing fully filled the pitch black interior.
Flower petals trembling as if about to break soon.
Was it because such reactions felt cute?
I found a part where stimulation was intense and firmly pressed it with my index and middle fingers.
Then Elise's pupils dilated and her shoulders twitched.
The girl glared at this side as if resentful.
"You again...!"
"Shh."
I quickly put my finger to the rose's lips.
Otherwise I would have clearly gotten an earful.
My hand pressed her abdomen before any other idle talk continued.
The mana tangled inside loosened, and tense muscles gently relaxed.
Following that, the stimulation hitting her brain became sharper. All her nerves focused on her lower abdomen touching my fingertips.
Something hotly condensed consumed the girl.
Everything is sinking just like that.
"Please relax."
Sruruuk-.
When I lightly drew a circle on her stomach, her waist rose once more.
I put strength in my palm so her posture wouldn't crumble.
As her rising lower abdomen and pressing hand meshed, even stronger pressure was applied.
"Ugh, haa..."
Had she melted from repeated stimulation?
Her fierce eyes were back in a loosened state.
Lips with my finger still resting on them.
I gently moved my index finger to caress that soft flesh.
My thumb dug into the damp split crevice.
"Chup... uumm, ugh, haa..."
A sensation fully wrapping my finger.
It felt like the hot, damp heat of her oral cavity was fully transmitted.
At the end that had dug in, a tongue came out to greet it.
Though it was still somewhat stiffly hardened, it seemed to accept the foreign object in her mouth, perhaps because she had gotten used to it while receiving treatment.
Her tongue full of moisture calmly covered my finger.
Though she glared like she would kill me at first, now even such contact had become daily life.
At times like this, the moment we were each other's first would come to mind.
The rose who had raised her thorns fully in those days.
-You... I'll kill you.
-How dare you, do such a thing...!
Even those days.
Now she was crumbled like flower petals facing winter.
She had lowered her own thorns.
I gently stroked her red hair.
"Huhu, good girl."
"Don't treat me like a child."
"Then should I stop stroking?"
"...Really annoying."
Elise turned her head instead of answering.
It meant please continue.
I stroked the girl's stomach and head like that while treatment progressed.
Such actions ended after her nightgown was completely soaked with sweat.
***
Treatment that continued for over 2 hours.
The noisy process wrapped up well.
As I was quietly cleaning up afterwards, the rose suddenly spoke with furrowed brows.
It was a gaze that seemed somewhat irritated.
"Today... wasn't it a bit excessive?"
"I'm always the same."
"You're the only one who would so freely molest a nation's imperial princess."
"It's simply a medical act. There's no other meaning."
"Well... just looking at the appearance, I'd believe it if you said it was rape."
"So do you dislike it? I can stop anytime if Your Highness wishes."
"...You're teasing me."
The girl muttered.
Was she suddenly lost in thought?
Silence sinking along with bitten lips.
Soon, Elise exhaled quietly and spat out one sentence.
It was a serious voice.
"Do you remember?"
"What do you mean?"
"I said before. That I would accept anything you do."
"I remember. You certainly said that."
"Even... if it's rape. If it's you, I would accept it."
"You're saying something terrible."
"It means I'm that sincere. This is absolutely not a lie."
"Indeed. Your will to receive treatment is amazing."
"Well... I didn't say which side I was sincere about."
"I'm glad either way. It means you trust me."
"You dodge so well every time."
"Thank you."
"That's not a compliment."
Casual talk exchanged calmly.
I tidied up the disheveled surroundings even amid that.
I lightly flicked my fingers and smoothed the blanket.
The rose sat on the bed exhausted, perhaps because her stamina was depleted during treatment.
As I quietly watched over her, something suddenly caught my eye.
It was none other than white bandages wrapped around both arms and near her neck.
I carefully grasped her wrist.
"Did you put a knife to your body again?"
"......"
"I've told you many times that self-harm is not good."
"I just... did it habitually. It strangely makes my mind feel at ease too."
"Didn't you promise me? That you would try."
"...Sorry."
When I pressed firmly, the girl's complexion darkened.
This side's gaze was slightly cooled.
The withered atmosphere.
Though it made me feel bad, I couldn't just accept it as her personal physician.
This was a problem she had to overcome herself.
I slowly unwrapped the bandages and replaced them with new ones.
Sruruuk-.
Reddish lines and marks revealed beyond the thin cloth.
I applied medicine over the field where wounds had bloomed.
"Um..."
Was it because of my unpleasant expression?
Elise grasped my sleeve hesitantly, unlike her.
"I'm sorry... I just, I'm so used to pain, sometimes, when it's unbearably hard..."
A voice lacking confidence.
Though she was usually fierce and tyrannical, at moments like this she would act as if about to break soon.
The rose paid a lot of attention to this side's mood, though she didn't show it.
Whether she was being annoying, whether she was bothering me, whether she might be abandoned.
No matter how many sharp thorns she put on the outside, her fragile essence didn't change.
Even that appearance resembled a rose.
The girl spoke.
"So... don't make that expression."
Elise bit her lip.
Loneliness or ache.
Such things were contained in her green eyes.
I couldn't readily open my mouth.
"......"
Though I had resolved to be strict.
I couldn't turn away from that lonely gaze.
A needless bitter taste spread in my mouth.
'You don't need to apologize to me.'
That's right.
What fault did this child have?
The only sin she shouldered was being born with a twisted fate, so who could blame her even if she broke endlessly?
I just didn't want to see such a delicate flower wither.
I held the girl's hand with a somewhat loosened atmosphere.
Her body heat was warm.
"Your Highness."
"Mm."
"I want Your Highness to cherish your own body."
"I know... but, I just can't get used to it at all."
"I know Your Highness is trying. I just said those words with the intention of encouraging you a little. My feelings weren't hurt at all. You don't need to be so anxious."
"...It's not like I particularly cared about that."
A needlessly prickly response returning.
I stroked Elise along with a faint burst of laughter.
Afterwards, I added a few words of news. It seemed like now was the best time to say it.
I met gazes with calm green eyes.
"I have something to tell you."
"What is it now?"
"It seems the time has finally come to keep the promise I made to Your Highness."
"By promise you mean...?"
"There was one, wasn't there?"
The promise we made first of all.
That I would bring hope to your life, and thereby break your curse.
"No way..."
"That's right. Research on mana stone disease just finished yesterday."
I smiled faintly.
The girl's eyes momentarily blanked, perhaps inferring the identity of the promise.
Life briefly shone in her pupils resembling leaves.
I spoke as if answering that hope.
"I will break your curse."
"......"
"Let's head to the imperial palace tomorrow. All the keys are there."
Valkaros Lantana von Staufen.
That damn emperor bastard.
There were many stories we needed to hear from him.
About Elise's curse and all relationships.
[Report on Mana Stone Disease]
[Written by: Medro Andreas]
-Mana stone disease takes a form closer to a curse than a disease.
-There are records in ancient times of utilizing the chronic characteristics of curses to transfer the disease's influence to others.
-This process of 'curse sharing' dramatically lowers the patient's mortality rate.
-However, curses can only be given and received in blood relationships within second cousins.
Part of the contents written in the report.
I muttered as if lamenting while chewing over it.
"All the answers... will be with him."
Long and long.
It was time to tie up the curse.