The sharp suction sent a strange, aching itch deep inside me, right where he was stretching me open. Without realizing it, I whined and clung to him, my body seeking more.
Slap, slap, slap.
Now that I was lying on my back, he gripped my thighs and spread them wide, thrusting into me with merciless speed. My legs, weak and trembling, hung limp in his grasp as he pounded between them.
“Ahn—! No, i-it’s… scary… ahng!”
Each time he buried himself to the hilt, the tip of him struck something inside me that sent a jolt up my spine. Fear mixed with the overwhelming pleasure, making my head shake from side to side in a daze. Then, as if grasping for a lifeline, I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck. But in doing so, I clenched around him just as he was pulling out, my inner walls tightening down like a vice.
“Haa… ngh.”
Letting go of my chest, Kelian straightened up, his last shred of restraint crumbling. He began thrusting into me even harder, faster, completely lost to his instincts.
“Ahh! Again—hah! W-wait… mmph!”
I tried to stop him, sensing something building inside me—something different from release, something that felt like it would spill over at any moment. But before I could speak, his lips crashed onto mine, swallowing my protests. At the same time, he seized my wrists, pinning them down so I couldn’t push him away.
Then, he pulled out until just the tip remained—only to slam back inside in one deep, punishing stroke.
The moment he pressed against that spot again, my entire body clenched as if struck by lightning. My vision blurred, flickering in and out. Through the haze, I saw his jaw tighten, his face contorting as he finally reached his peak.
Even as he spilled inside me, he didn’t stop, rolling his hips in slow, deliberate strokes, as if wringing every last drop from himself.
“Hngh… hhh….”
The pleasure was far beyond unbearable, sending helpless sobs spilling from my lips. My toes curled painfully, and my trembling thighs clenched around his waist. I could almost feel the heat of his release sloshing inside me.
“Haa… Aine.”
“Ahh! A-ahh! Hngh—ahh!”
As soon as he parted from my lips and called my name, my vision flickered, my body writhing in the endless waves of release.
A gush of liquid burst from me.
Unlike the slickness that had been steadily dripping before, this was sudden, forceful—explosive. Kelian momentarily stilled, his gaze dropping to where we were still connected. A brief silence followed, the room filled only with the sound of my ragged breaths.
“Haa…”
I had no idea what that sigh of his meant. All I knew was that it made him even more aroused.
“Ahh! Nngh, ah! Ahhng!”
I was losing even the last traces of reason, unable to suppress my moans any longer. The only small mercy was that my voice, weakened by exhaustion, didn’t come out too loudly. Not that it mattered—nothing else mattered once Kelian picked up his pace again, slamming into me even harder.
“Did it hurt?”
Only after he had driven into me twice more did he finally regain some semblance of control, his expression flickering with momentary concern as he took in my trembling form.
I shook my head with difficulty. “No… it just felt too good….”
“……”
His silence stretched between us before he slowly lowered himself, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of my lips. The featherlight touch dulled the lingering overstimulation, allowing my senses to settle—until I felt it.
He was still inside me. And he was getting hard again.
Despite my exhaustion, an unsettling mix of dread and anticipation curled in my stomach.
“Nn…”
The gentle kiss deepened, and just as his hips began to move once more—
—Kyaaaaaaah!
My mind snapped back into focus. But that wasn’t my voice.
The high-pitched scream had come from downstairs.
—Kyaaaaaah! Baby! That’s so good! Right there! No, not there! THERE!
I recognized that overly dramatic moan immediately. It wasn’t unfamiliar to me, but for Kelian, it had to be a surprise.
And yet, he didn’t care. He showed no reaction at all, completely undeterred as he continued pounding into me.
“W-wait, ahh! Wait a second, Kelian—!”
Kelian finally halted, and only then did he seem to acknowledge the noises coming from below. His gaze flickered to the floor. The sounds were coming from downstairs.
—Aaaahhh! Ahhh! Ahhhhhh!
Back when I lived here alone, I had never realized just how loud Malri’s moans were. But hearing them now, they were definitely on the loud side. The strange part was that the twin sisters sleeping in another room on the first floor never seemed to hear a thing. I knew that from the few times I had helped put them to bed—they always slept like rocks.
—Baby! Baby! Right there! Ahhhhhh!
Though Malri’s moans were nothing new to me, hearing them now, with Kelian beside me, made me uncomfortably self-conscious. Had our sounds carried downstairs too? Though… judging by how busy they were, they probably hadn’t noticed anything.
Either way, there was no way we could continue like this. Not because I was too exhausted. Definitely not because of that.
Reading my unspoken decision, Kelian let out a slow breath and finally withdrew. The motion was torturously slow, as if he was reluctant to leave me, but there was no helping it. The moment he pulled out completely, a mix of his release and my own came spilling out in a hot rush.
“…I apologize. It seems I lost control again.”
Having finally suppressed the last embers of his desire, Kelian covered his mouth with one hand, a rare flicker of self-reproach in his expression. He must have felt that he had been too rough, too overwhelming.
I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. I wanted it too.”
…Though there was no way I could handle another round tonight.
Malri’s moans continued in the background, and I couldn’t help but let out a weary laugh.
“Kelian.”
I opened my arms, calling his name softly. He watched me for a moment before bending down, wrapping himself around me. His golden hair, gleaming like sunlight, spilled messily over my chest.
“This is exactly why I didn’t want to share a room,” he muttered gloomily.
His downcast eyes made something ache in my chest.
“If I act like some insatiable beast, I was afraid you’d get tired of me and decide to stay behind.”
“…What?”
“You said you would come with us, but… what if you changed your mind? You struggled with our relationship before, after all.”
So that was it. He didn’t fully believe me when I said I wouldn’t stay behind. Even now, he was afraid I’d find being with him too much and decide to remain in my hometown instead.
The frustration of not being trusted warred with the urge to ease his worries.
“It is difficult sometimes,” I admitted.
His beautiful face grew even more dejected, like a wounded beast with drooping ears.
“It’s because I like it so much. So much that I feel like I’m going to lose my mind….”
Honestly, anyone could tell just by looking at the absolute mess of the bed. Oh. A sudden realization hit me. How am I supposed to wash all this?
I’d have to wake up early and destroy the evidence.
But that was a problem for later. Right now, reassuring my overly considerate lover was more important.
“So don’t worry and just sleep.”
“……”
He closed his eyes briefly, as if absorbing my words, feeling the way my arms held him close. But a moment later, he gently unwrapped them and sat up.
“We should wash before sleeping.”
Considering his release was still leaking from me, he wasn’t wrong.
Without hesitation, he scooped up my limp body, draped a robe over both of us, and carried me to the bathroom. We had just bathed earlier, yet here we were again—but I wasn’t about to complain. The warmth of his bare skin against mine was far too comforting.
—Aaaaah! Aaaahhhhhh!
…Meanwhile, Malri was still going at it downstairs.
❖ ❖ ❖
“You can’t leave just yet!”
Malri fussed dramatically, but we had already overstayed our original plans by several days. That delay had only made Kelian’s unease worse—there was no helping it. We had to go.
As we stepped out of the inn, I immediately noticed something unusual. The townspeople, who normally wouldn’t gather like this, were all standing outside as if to see us off.
I glanced back at Malri, who only grinned sheepishly. “Well… everyone was curious….”
It was obvious. She must have spread the word that the Hero’s Party had been staying at the Deer Inn. Not that it was a lie, so I didn’t mind too much. Still, dealing with all the people calling out to me was… a bit tiring.
“Aine! Hey, it’s me! Regan! We used to play together when we were kids! Don’t you remember?”
Regan, one of the few young men in the village, suddenly blocked my path, eagerly striking up a conversation. It was true that we’d played together once or twice as children—but he had been the kind of brat who enjoyed saying cruel things to an orphan like me. And as an adult? He had turned into a shameless flirt.
“You remember me, right? We used to be so close—”
He trailed off mid-sentence.
Kelian had stopped walking.
Not just him—everyone in the party had halted.
Janine, Dyne, Seiris, and Bakrud—all five warriors stood still, their sharp gazes locked onto Regan.
Under the weight of their collective stares, Regan’s confidence crumbled. His words turned into an awkward mumble.
“W-why are you all looking at me like that…?”
“Oh, you idiot! Quit running your mouth and move aside! Let the heroes pass!”
Thankfully, his aunt saved him before things got worse, smacking him hard on the back and dragging him away. The tension in the air loosened—if only slightly.
But Kelian wasn’t finished.
Still scanning the crowd with quiet wariness, he pulled me against his side, wrapping one arm around my waist.
And just like that, I was pressed tightly against him as we walked.
“Aine. When you come next time, remember the things I told you, okay? You have to bring them!”
Malri, who had accompanied me to the village exit, recited the gift list as though engraving it into my mind. Even though she had already bought plenty of gifts and handed them over, she still didn’t seem satisfied.
Since my hometown and my close friend Malri, along with her cute daughters, were here, I knew I’d visit again someday. But talking about that now, in front of Kelian, was almost forbidden. He still seemed anxious that I might be taken away back to my hometown…
Sure enough, as soon as Malri mentioned “next time,” Kelian’s gaze immediately fixated on me, as though to ask if it was really true. I averted my gaze and subtly squeezed Kelian’s hand. His hand, which quickly met mine, was warm.
“Heroes, please come again next time!”
“Aine, take care!”
“Take care! See you again!”
Malri and her daughters waved their hands, and I waved mine in return. My mood was incredibly mixed. I felt both excited about the future that awaited and empty after leaving my hometown… it was a complicated feeling in many ways.
Still…
“Aine.”
Kelian clung to me as if asking me to look at him. If I didn’t turn around and greet Malri one more time, he’d be upset. Was he really that anxious? How many times would I need to say it for him to believe it? I was sure of it—being with Kelian and them would be the only way to truly find happiness.
“Kelian. Will you hug me?”
Although I had just left the village and wasn’t tired or weary, I asked because I knew Kelian would feel comforted by hugging me. Without asking for any reason, he effortlessly picked me up in his arms, as if he had been waiting for that moment. Watching us, Dain clicked his tongue in amusement.
“Maybe next time, I’ll visit my hometown…”
Jenin muttered lightly as though suddenly missing her own hometown.
“If you’re going to do that, go to the Magic Tower first.”
“Hey, I said it first. I’ll visit my hometown first. There are a lot of dungeons there.”
“Don’t you think the Magic Tower has dungeons?”
“The dungeons there were a bit boring.”
Dain and Jenin argued for a while, but the matter remained unresolved until we saw the river ahead.
As for me, it didn’t matter where we went. Whether it was the kingdom or the Magic Tower, anywhere would be fine.
I was happy, finally starting at this point, as long as I was with them.
Altruistic Warrior -fin.
