Case 68: To a maiden’s fluttering heart.

*****

Sapphire Palace, night.

In the exquisite bedroom with a prized view—the third princess's abode, a strange silence lingered. If it were usual, the space would have been filled with dances and music starring Mr.Chief, the energetic bald eagle, and his vibing master, Kiara d'Anjou.

It made sense. Kiara was shy, but that didn't mean she disliked lively atmospheres. Moreover, she always had to put on a dignified front outside, so she could only express her spirited side in this private space.

''...''

However, today was an exception.

Kiara had just returned from the academy, leaving behind the joyous delights of the cultural festival. She even showered in the spotlight for a while, which would have been a good moment to reflect on, but her mind didn't register any of that.

Instead, her heart was burning.

There was a strange concoction of absolute thrill and desires ravaging her conscious being, and her unconscious sides were but a vessel for a vast ocean of love for that one girl—the girl she clung to as a mere hope.

'What is happening...'

Of course, the cause of all this was none other than Cecilia's borderline insane acts on the rooftop earlier.

To a maiden like Kiara, such brutally promiscuous and outright erotic performances were only heard and seen in fiction. Worse for the princess, her opponent was Cecilia, which only made the impression all the more memorable. To experience that process from start to finish was overwhelming, yet that could only be the beginning.

It was the kind of memory that would live rent-free in her mind for the foreseeable future and keep her up all night even if she didn't particularly try to seek it out.

Even now, her body vividly remembered the heat embracing her arm at that moment. Her ears still heard faintly of those sweet, sweet moans, and her fingers...

''Ugh...!''

Kiara couldn't help but bury her face in the pillow.

Truthfully, before this incident, she tried not to mind the lovemaking part of the relationship. She thought it was too unfamiliar to her and decided to yield the initiative to Cecilia, who clearly had ample experience compared to herself.

Was she jealous of the other two, knowing that they slept with Cecilia? Of course, she was, but somewhere, a sense of relief kept her neutral about it. Now that she had tasted that forbidden fruit, no matter how much she resisted, the strong instinct for lewd inside her wouldn't lose anymore.

Kiara was but a healthy teenager.

'Should I just... go for it the next time I meet her...?'

Fueled by lust, aided by reasoning, the princess began to scheme. She wanted to embrace that girl to her heart's content and to give love to every part of her body—even she was surprised at how fast and honestly this resolve came into existence.

Still, perhaps it was too embarrassing for the shy Kiara. She rolled around on the bed for a while, squirming and coiling as she gave birth to new fantasies in her head.

It wasn't until a dozen minutes later that she snapped out of it and got to action.

''...''

Yet, when she held up her phone, hardly any idea came to mind. Should she ask Cecilia for another date? She could easily book a hotel and get it all settled in just one swoop. Considering how eager Cecilia was, it certainly sounded plausible.

However, the cultural festival was still ongoing. If that were the plan, the date would have to be pushed back appropriately. By then, would the fire and the heat between them cool off?

It was a tough decision.

Or...

''...No, maybe that could work.''

Kiara stared at the screen for a long while before decidedly typing down some texts to send to her target.

[Did you eat?]

Thankfully, it was seen right away, and even the reply was already being constructed.

[Yeah. How about you?]

[Just had some steamed soup with beef. Tender and delicious.]

[Ah... I want that, too. It sounds so good.]

[Come here, then. I'll ask the chef to make more.]

So far, so good.

The atmosphere between the royal princess and her crush had not been affected, which was a big relief. Not only that, Kiara was able to naturally invite her lover to her house—a massive achievement by her standards.

A little smile bloomed on the princess's face.

[I see what you're doing. Don't worry about it too much. I'll make sure to bring condoms next time so we can do it wherever.]

''Ah.''

Until she received that message with a big, pink heart right after. Immense embarrassment swelled up, but Kiara wasn't about to give up. Just as she was about to send back something—

''A-Ah.''

Kiara almost choked on her own saliva.

What appeared on her screen was a high-definition picture of Cecilia's immaculate, exquisitely beautiful bare chest, on which a sentence that read, 'Please make do with this for the time being' was written in a cute font.

The teasing smile barely visible at the top of the image proved that the princess had been thoroughly read.

Curling herself into a cocoon, Kiara lamented her naive nature... but she also felt grateful that she had someone who would accept such a naive person.

To the maiden's fluttering heart, that was just the perfect thing to keep it fluttering.

*****

''Grr...''

''Well, well, would you calm down...?''

''No.''

We had a problem.

Apparently, so many people talked about me these days that even Lyra saw them all on social media. I was sure she didn't pay attention to the romance stuff, but... it seemed she got really angry at those who left hate comments.

See, it wasn't as though I didn't understand where she came from. I, too, would be enraged if my big sister got called a whore or a gold-digger by some retards online.

I didn't mind them one bit, though, so even if Lyra were to rip those people apart as her attitude suggested, I would still feel nothing.

Sensing the need to calm the little soldier down, I quickly pulled out another elixir and put it in her hand.

''Here. Drink this and take a deep breath, okay?''

''...What is this?''

''It's supposed to make your mana denser and more potent. That's what I heard.''

''Where did you... okay. Fine.''

Puffing out a little gust of air, Lyra swiftly downed the vial before flopping down on my lap. She was just adorable at that point, but I was thinking...

''Hm... did you grow again?''

Somehow, my little sister was growing at an alarming rate. Well, it was me who monitored her diet, so I shouldn't be surprised, but still. Not only was she at my shoulder level now, but I noticed she was gaining weight as well, which was a good thing.

''Fufu... when would you finally become taller than this sister, I wonder.''

''Soon.''

Looking up at me with a pair of determined eyes, Lyra declared,

''I'll be taller than you and carry you around, so you don't have to walk anymore.''

Hearing such a serious statement... I couldn't help but chuckle. Oh, how cute my little sister was...