章 11: Chapter 21: Renfont Manor, Day (2)

When I opened my eyes, I could tell from the heavy light sifting through the windows that midday had come.

This wasn't a new sight. As an adventurer, the nights were long and the mornings fleeting. But lately, it wasn't due to the demands of heroism that caused my sleep to stretch out into the early hours of the afternoon. Not even with commissions that had me on my feet until dusk.

Ordinarily, I'd be able to earn enough rest with a handful of sleeping hours to function sufficiently for the day. Instead, the time until I could enjoy the comforts of a bed were becoming steadily later.

And I couldn't issue a single complaint.

Not when the reason sleep evaded me was the thoughts, the images, and the sounds, of a truly beautiful girl ensuring that no dream was sweeter than the one she gave me.

The stains around my luxurious bed was proof of that.

Opening my eyes, I sensed the comforts of a decadent guest room being lit up by the midday light.

It had more furnishings than even a hero had a right to look at. Grand and majestic windows to a sweeping vista of the gardens. Ornate furnishings. Rich, velvety carpets. And a bed soft as the feathers undoubtedly stuffed within it.

But I didn't have a care for any of those things. Not when I was treated to an even more wonderful sight upon waking up.

"Good morning."

Iris peered over me, smiling with bemusement.

For a moment, I saw her wearing that breathtaking maid uniform. I could see the way those garter belts dug into her thighs as I blinked, and how her cleavage spilled out from that inadequate bodice.

But it was just her travelling clothes today.

After a few moments, I realised as I took in her smile that Iris was waking me up.

Another memory struck me, and another sharp feeling of envy splashing me awake. That white gown she wore while waking up Magnus wasn't for me. It was for him. And as my eyes betrayed my thoughts by glancing down her adventuring gear, I was met with a ponderous tilt of Iris's head.

But even so, I thought this wasn't so bad.

There were worse ways to wake up than to have Iris smile at you.

"Breakfast in bed?" I asked, smiling dizzily.

"You wish," she scoffed.

"It's not like I'd expect you to make it. We officially have servants now. At least for the day. You could simply bring it to me."

"Alas, the trials of a maid isn't for me. I attempted to wear the uniform, but I don't think they fit me."

I wanted to retort on behalf of all men everywhere.

But then I realised that Iris was speaking literally. The maid uniform really didn't fit her. The memory of her bust stretching out the uniform's brassiere was clear in my mind. Just like the seed of another man that generously coated it.

I felt my breath catch in my throat, then hoped that Iris didn't notice the early morning accompaniment that came with waking up to her gentle teasing.

I already knew it was futile.

"Did you have pleasant dreams?" she asked, her eyes trailing down the bedsheets.

"Yeah, the best," I replied, my voice hoarse from trying to distract her. "I think my dreams were … amazing."

Iris took pity on me. She returned her gaze to my face, her warm smile brighter than the sun.

"Good. You deserved the rest."

"I'm not sure if I can say that. All I did was stand up all night."

"By the looks of it, you still are."

In my tiredness, it took me slightly longer than necessary to realise what she was talking about. And that meant even longer to let Iris take in my embarrassed reaction.

I shifted slightly, puffing up the bedsheets with my knees, then coughed.

"And you?" I asked. "Did you … sleep well?"

For a moment, the image of Iris's face collapsed into Magnus's bed appeared in my mind. Again, I shifted where I was.

Iris smiled cutely at my embarrassment.

"I did, thank you. Having my own room is an extravagance I'm certainly not used to. But for all its comforts, it almost feels like I had too much space."

She leaned in slightly. The scent of expensive shampoo wafted over me.

"Why … at one point, I even wondered if I should find some means of filling it up."

My mouth opened without speaking at the implication behind her words.

But whatever feelings I should have experienced at that moment, it was softened by Iris's playful smile, and the obvious amusement in her voice.

"I know what you mean," I eventually replied. "There's something about hard beds and wooden floors that grow on you over time."

"Hard beds and wooden floors do not grow on us. They warp the structure of our backs. If we survive the coming days, we'll fall prey to poor posture."

"That doesn't sound too bad, considering the many alternatives."

"True. I suppose having our spines damaged by sleeping on too many hard surfaces is a much gentler way to meet our ends than poison and claws."

"Or poisoned claws."

Iris let out a fleeting laugh.

"We always do manage to see the bright spot to things, don't we?"

"It's what makes us heroes." I offered a wry smile, then looked at the sunlight streaming through the window. "You can't have slept for long. What's the occasion?"

I didn't need to touch on what had kept her awake through the night. Yet it should have meant she was still tired, ordained hero or not. And as far as I was aware, we had nothing scheduled for today.

That's not to say we shouldn't be looking for something to fill in that schedule. But we were due for a proper rest, and last night's commission ensured we wouldn't be resorting to joining the city's extensive populace of pickpockets and vagabonds.

Well, so long as Magnus didn't keep losing his coin purse, that is.

Iris shrugged in response.

"I hear someone called the Demon King is invading."

"That sounds like a problem."

"Mildly, yes."

"Better call up some willing adventurers for that."

"Unfortunately, all the local adventurers are occupied at present. Or very distracted."

Once more, Iris purposefully let her eyes dwell on the bedsheets that I'd knocked up with my knees.

I felt a fresh flush of embarrassment. And then something even more. Briefly, I wondered if this mischievous girl would be content with simply teasing me were this Magnus she was waking up.

The heat started rising within me further. My knees overreacted instinctively.

Iris would never miss it.

"I'm relieved you slept well," she said, her voice purposefully sweet. "Positive morale is important for combat efficiency."

The way Iris boosted morale, it was impossible to not fight to the fullest. Who wanted to die when the prize was Iris's smile?

"Is … Magnus awake?"

I tried to keep my expression still. But we both knew what I was really asking.

Had Iris … 'woken' Magnus before me?

The beautiful girl responded by sitting down on the edge of the bed. Nearby, in another room, I wondered if she had sat on another bed just like this one before coming here.

She smiled at me. It was gentle, but dignified.

I thought about Iris's cool appearance, and how her sharp tongue caused friend and foe alike to keep their distance from her. And then I thought about that same tongue hanging out her mouth, saliva dribbling down her chin as she presented her wet slit for Magnus's use.

A strong sense of guilt enveloped me as the image of her proud face drooling from pleasure visited my mind. But that guilt was also tempered with the knowledge that drawing out my envy was something Iris precisely enjoyed.

And so yet again, I found myself being toyed with by the person I was lucky enough to call my girlfriend.

She took a long pause before answering, purposefully spinning my jealousy out of me. I was always at her whims even before asking her to fulfil my selfish wishes, and these little acts were always her reminders to never forget that.

Iris giggled.

"I expect the oaf is still asleep. He had a tiring evening."

A tiring evening.

I suppose as far as tiring evenings were, fucking three maids and then Iris in relentless succession could be called that.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. He's night was probably more tiring than mine."

I looked at Iris's expression. There was only amusement there. She really hadn't visited Magnus this morning.

A cloud of emotions visited me, stilling my beating heart. I felt something between intense relief and stinging regret. Relief that, at least today, Iris still sought me out before that man. I was still the person she considered her lover.

And yet … that relief was weighed upon by a sense of disappointment that I hadn't woken up to another gift to start the day.

Iris's mischievous smile returned in full.

"So … why did you ask? Would you like me to wake him up?"

My reply came too slow. Iris softly laughed.

"Breakfast is ready," she said, swiftly hoisting herself up from my bed. "Oddly, the maids thought it was acceptable to wake me, but neither yourself nor Magnus. I wonder why that is?"

I offered a short cough.

It appeared that even professional maids remembered when they were brusquely ushered out from a room by one of their guests.

"I'm sure it's because they could hear our snoring and not yours."

"True. You gentlemen do attempt to keep the night at bay with your outrageous snores. Given our frequent lack of interruptions during our sleep, I'd say you succeed."

As she stood up, Iris's dazzling blue eyes glanced at the nightstand beside the bed, then at the sheets themselves.

"Don't be late," she said, clearly scouring for something. "I'll gladly start without you. I'm all for party camaraderie, but that doesn't apply to eating … what was it on the menu? Berry toasted mandarin peels? I wasn't even aware the rinds were edible."

"I wasn't even aware there was a menu."

"There is. So do avoid having me inform the Baron and his wife that you'll be much delayed."

Finally, Iris found what she was looking for.

Just as my knees failed to hide the reaction of my lower body, it also failed to hide the other bump beneath the bedsheets.

Almost curiously, she reached over for where last night's memory stone was still tucked beneath the bedsheets. She brushed her fingertip over the bump, then reached underneath the sheets. A pale object soon glimmered in the light.

The memory stone in hand, she glanced at my lower body again.

"… With that said, you should still take your time ensuring you join us only when you're ready."

I gave a wry smile as she deposited the memory stone atop my stomach.

"I will. Thanks."

Iris returned the smile, before finally turning to leave.

Anticipating what I was about to see again, I wouldn't need much time before I was ready to join her. Especially as I was again struck by the intense envy from the knowledge that were this Magnus, she would have done much more to wake him than simply leave behind a memory stone.