She continued to act as if the might she showed us yesterday wasn’t hers. We were all on edge when she was around us, but did our best to hide it.

  After breakfast, Lily and I immediately left.

  It was finally time to meet with him.

  Wow, I sound like a girl who waited for the weekend to end just to see her crush in school.

  I have to admit that he had the look of an experienced man. He must be good in bed. Not that I had a desire to test him.

  I wasn’t fond of the idea of being shared by many men, but I knew how humans procreate. I wasn’t a 14-year-old brat. I was a young woman. I preferred to give my body to the only one. Sure, at the beginning I may make mistakes, but when I find the right one, I’d desire only him.

  For the protection of my innocence and life, I had my escort with me, Lily, at all times. If one dared to try sullying me, she’d make him unable to lay his hands on another girl.

  If I remembered correctly what he told me the other day: after exiting the guild, I had to walk straight, turn right on the second street and look for a place named “World’s End”.

  I had goosebumps just remembering that name. So ominous.

  After a while, we saw it. The place he stayed looked shabby.

  A place with such a name was bound to have few customers, so how hard could it be to find one person?

  We entered with the door’s creaks and went to the receptionist directly. He was thin, had a white beard and grey hair and his face and clothes were wrinkled, but his eyes were full of life. He was dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt.

  “Buen día. Good day. Espa?ol or English?”

  “English.”

  “Will you two be staying over?”

  “No, we are looking for someone. A friend of ours. Could you help us by telling us in which room he is?”

  “Tell me his name or how he looks.”

  “He has black hair, is around 5.9 feet, with a decent build, always dressed in a Mercenary uniform and his right leg is wounded.”

  “We have no one like that here,” he replied flatly the moment I finished.

  His fast response gobsmacked me.

  Did that mean he lied to me or was he already gone? Just how fast did he heal? No, was he even wounded? Or did the one before me lie to my face?

  I then remembered being told by him something else: they do need to make money somehow.

  What was the meaning of that?

  Was he telling me to get a room in here? Or was it all a prank to get me off of him?

  While I was wondering, Lily took over.

  “Here. 20 dollars. Now, do you know where he is?” she said while giving some money.

  “Second floor, room 211. Do you need me to show you the way?” he immediately replied and took the money.

  What was that? I thought he played dumb to protect his customers, as we were looking for someone heavily wounded.

  The truth was that he was only waiting for a bribe. How corrupt could he be?!

  Was that what he meant by saying all that? To have money to spare?

  “No need, we’ll find it on our own,” I replied, not wanting to deal with that old man anymore.

  I turned left and walked to the staircase.

  “It’s on the other side,” the receptionist said and I stopped.

  I saw that the other side also had stairs.

  “Thanks,” I replied and walked towards the one he pointed at.

  While we were climbing the stairs, I decided to instruct Lily.

  I feared she might kill him. After meeting with the real Sophia yesterday, she feared that he might also be a monster, but unlike her, he had nothing to do with us.

  She was also overprotective towards boys, whether they liked me or not. My father cared less about boys approaching me than Lily did. I was sure he’d be more than happy if I told him that he would become a grandfather.

  “I’ll be going in alone. You should stay outside. You are forbidden to enter without me saying so.”

  She nodded hesitantly.

  I knew that she was wary of him and wanted to protect me, but she showed her emotions easily, especially her dislike of the opposite gender.

  She’d keep giving him murderous looks if I let her enter with me. He shouldn’t try to do anything with me, but even if he did, with Lily outside, if I screamed for help, she’d be there in seconds.

  Despite my dislike of this place, it wasn’t that bad. Sure, it required some minor repairs here and there, but nothing major. There was more to desire from this place, but as a cheaper alternative, it looked good enough.

  On the second floor, the rooms were numbered from 300 and above. Then it hit me. People in here counted the ground level as the first floor.

  After we went down a floor, we saw an old woman in casual clothes cleaning the dust and wiping the floor. When she saw us, she smiled and waved her free hand. I smiled and waved back. Lily also waved.

  We looked at the room’s numbers. This was the right level. 200, 201…

  Aha! Here it is! The door with the number 211 was before me. I knocked twice. The sound of my knuckles hitting the door echoed in the hall.

  “It is unlocked, you can come in,” he replied and I entered.

  He was lying wrapped in a blanket on the bed, bare-chested, his right leg wrapped in a bloody bandage, his dark hair dishevelled. His gaze was sleepy. Did I wake him up?

  From what I could see, he had decent muscles but was different from those whose only goal in life was to be muscular. His chest was also slightly hairy.

  The bloody bandage was stained with dark red blood and had spots of fresh blood as well. Beneath the wounded leg, there was a puddle of half-dried blood on the bed. He kept his leg at a slight upward angle. He also had a gauze covering his left cheek.

  The room was kept relatively tidy. I could see some of his clothes that had been used the other day, a backpack and an assault rifle.

  The handgun and his knife were nowhere to be seen.

  It was a strange knife made out of black metal. Even the sharp part was dark. Only the handle had a few red lines on it. It was the first time I saw anything like that.

  Whenever he used that knife, it sliced through the undead as if they were made out of paper. It even pierced a Brute and its armour with little to no difficulty.

  The outerwear he had the other day was also present.

  The upper wear of his Mercenary uniform resembled a military jacket, but it had numerous pockets. The damage it sustained the other day was patched, but as a side effect, it became more colourful.

  Next to the bed, a small pile of empty packages of the Mercenary rations was located.

  Did he eat only that? That thing is the worst!

  I felt pity for him. Maybe if I cook something, my mistake would be forgiven?

  Also on the bedside furniture was a candle holder with candles. By looking at the condition of the candles, I could tell they weren’t used much.

  I gave my greetings.

  “Hello, how are you doing?”

  “Tired. You?” he replied while his gaze from looking at my eyes went downwards.

  “Thanks for asking! I’m also fine.”

  I felt his slightly lustful gaze on my breast area.

  I couldn’t say that I was comfortable with that, but since other males often gave me similar looks (but way more lustful), I was more or less used to it.

  However, I did feel my cheeks becoming a bit reddish. My knowledge that a man was looking at me as a woman was more than enough.

  If Lily were here, she’d certainly want to kill him.

  Honestly speaking, his lustful gaze wasn’t that bad. No, I didn’t enjoy being looked at by men nor by him specifically! I’m not such a woman!

  What I meant was that his gaze showed no hostility. I feared he might’ve been mad at me.

  I’d rather him look me up and down as much as he wanted than to give me the death glare.

  That said, I did feel slightly embarrassed by the focused stare he gave my body. It felt as if he could see through my clothes. For a moment, I thought I was in my underwear.

  He looked at my legs at some point, but soon averted his gaze to my chest again.

  I continued our dialogue.

  “What a day the other day was! It was my first time experiencing such a thing! I’m glad you and my friend were with me back then. I’m also glad we came back alive.”

  “Yes.”

  His staring continued.

  “I’m not used to going to such dark places. At some point, I thought we’d never come back alive! I’m so grateful to the ones who restored the light. Without it, I might’ve lost my mind in the darkness.”

  “Aha.”

  Was he even listening?

  “I’ll be staying here for a while. I intend to rest for a day or two and continue with the work. I’m not from here. I came a few days ago. I think I’ll go sightseeing at the market and shops. Girls adore shopping!”

  “Aha.”

  “I came here to apologise for my mistakes. I’m really, truly sorry! I never intended for something like that to happen! Please, forgive me!” I said while bowing my waist, my eyes looking at the wooden floor.

  “Yes.”

  The replies were pretty short, as if he was just saying all that on autopilot.

  Had he never seen breasts before?

  I admit that mine were of the highest quality, but still.

  My clothes actually obscured them from being seen at their best! Yet, he was almost always staring at them!

  I could feel my face becoming even redder from embarrassment. This was the first time a man looked at my breasts this much. I wasn’t used to it.

  I thought it’d be good to finish and be on my way. I apologised and the other thing I came for couldn’t be asked out of nowhere. I wanted to recruit him, even if temporarily.

  However, he might be done for soon anyway. It was outside of my power. It was up to her to decide about that.

  “I came to see how you’re doing and to ask about your plans,” I said while waiting for a “Yes” or “Aha”, but I actually got a real reply.

  Seemed like he didn’t focus on my body all the time. I’m glad.

  “After I heal my leg, I think of going north into The King’s Territories.”

  This was good. We were also going in that direction. If that was the case, I might as well ask him, but how should I do so in order to get a positive reply…

  Breasts of mine, take care of his attention while I think something up!

  Women have to use all their assets to survive in this cruel world!

  I didn’t know him well, but I thought that a direct approach would have been the best choice. The worst that could happen was outright rejection. I would have insisted by asking again another time, but after a second rejection, I’d have given up.

  “My companions and I also have to go somewhere north. I wonder if you could be willing to come with me as a bodyguard.”

  When I asked, he stopped looking at my breasts and stared at my eyes, his dark pupils piercing me. I felt scared by that fast reaction and the slightly intimidating gaze, but didn’t show it. He moved as rapidly as her yesterday when she shushed Lily.

  I must have imagined it. How could he be her equal? His talking interrupted my thoughts.

  “How long am I supposed to guard you? How much would you pay? How much time will we be travelling and with how many more will you be travelling? And most importantly – when will we be doing so?” he asked me a swarm of questions.

  I wondered where to start replying. His lust from seconds ago was fully gone and he was watching me in the eyes with the gaze of a hunter. I already missed him looking at my chest…

  “We’ll be going in two days and about the period you’ll guard me…”

  “I heard enough.”

  His rude interruption startled me and I was left speechless.

  If you wanted to reject me, just say so from the start! There was no need to give me false hope!

  ”I will need… six more days to heal. If you are willing to postpone your travel, you can come and tell me so. If not, you better get someone who can and will not be a burden.”

  At least he was straightforward with the reasoning. I knew of his injury, but I thought he should be able to heal the major damage by two more days or at least be able to move.

  “Won’t you be able to come with us in two days? We will walk slower until you heal up.”

  “You have to see what is under the bandage to know why the earliest I would dare to move is a week.”

  “Mind me seeing?”

  “Well… It hurts when I have to change the bandage. The dried blood is stuck to my skin. I have to eat pills to make it doable. It is also an unpleasant view.”

  “Why don’t you visit a doctor?”

  “If you know a decent doctor in here, do tell me about them.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out for one.”

  It wouldn’t be earlier than he said initially. He was adamant about that.

  I had to think about my options.

  We had to get the “thing” into “location B” as fast as possible, but at the moment, I wasn’t confident in us making it so safely.

  I needed more time to think about it. I couldn’t decide on the spot. He wasn’t going anywhere with that leg. She also shouldn’t harm him for a day or two.

  “I’ll have to think about it. I’ll come back tomorrow to tell you about my decision. Also, have you been eating the food rations all this time? I’ll make something and we’ll talk during breakfast if you are fine with it.”

  “No objections.”

  “Good. I’ll take my leave now. Goodbye! See you tomorrow and heal fast!”

  “Thanks. Until tomorrow.”

  I turned around and headed to the door. Outside, Lily was waiting for me.

  I hadn’t planned on what to do after visiting him. I decided to go and shop for ingredients and anything else that caught my eye.

  We headed towards the building’s exit.

  On the stairs, I realised my blunders during my talk with him.

  The first one was that there were very few places where I could find any decent ingredients.

  The second and probably the biggest mistake was that I could barely cook anything edible.

  I initially wanted to make a Cottage pie, but I might need to change it after I do the shopping.

  We went to the market and looked at all the stalls and the goods being sold. Nothing made me drool by its look.

  One stall sold meat. It looked fresh and promising and we went to check it.

  “Carne fresca! Carne fresca! Consigue algo mientras aún puedas! Carne fresca!” the seller was advertising the commodity with her high-pitched voice in Spanish.

  “Excuse me!”

  “Yes? What would you like?”

  “How fresh is the meat?”

  “Got the batch this morning. The blood was yet to drain. Have a look.”

  She raised a piece of meat in the air. It dripped fresh blood.

  “Do you have any meat that can be consumed right now?”

  “We could cook it, but it will take time and will be pricier.”

  “How much would two pieces of cooked meat cost?”

  “It would depend on the part.”

  “Only meat?”

  “Give me a sec… It would be 50 dollars overall.”

  “50 dollars?!”

  “Yes. I added a discount for you being one of my first customers for the day.”

  “Ain’t that a bit too expensive?” Lily asked.

  “To tell you the truth, this is one of the last batches of meat left in the city. After today, until a caravan comes from the central areas, nothing can be called “fresh” anymore.”

  “How much time do you need to prepare the meat?” I asked.

  “I’ll need to have my husband prepare it after he’s done with the butchering.”

  “Butchering?”

  “Yes, the animal was killed this morning and he is taking the meat. He should be done anytime now and will come to help me. When he comes, I’ll tell him to cook two chunks of meat for you. How would you like it? Fried, baked or boiled?”

  “Baked.”

  “Got it. In no more than two hours, it should be done. In case I’m not on the stall, can I have your name? My husband needs to know for whom the order is.”

  “I’m Mary and this is Lily.”

  “Got it. Usually, you’ll need to pay beforehand, but I’ll let you pay afterwards.”

  “Thanks. We’ll come in two hours. Have a nice day.”

  “You too!”

  Afterwards, I decided to buy the better-looking products and then decide what to make.

  After buying a satisfying amount, I stopped at a clothes shop.

  I didn’t expect anything fancy in there, but we had a time to waste.

  My eyes were glued to one of the dresses. It was yellow, sleeveless and the cloth was decent to the touch. It wasn’t durable at all, but with the correct care, it could be worn for at least a month.

  I held the dress before me in both my arms and looked at myself in the big mirror.

  It looked decent. Sadly, there was no changing room to try it on. Still, I decided to buy it. It was dirt cheap compared to the meat I ordered – 20 dollars.

  The entire time, Lily looked at me as if to ask me what I was doing.

  It wasn’t that I needed something more to wear nor did I fall in love with the dress. I lacked clothes that showed my charm. I knew he liked my breasts and I was uncertain of my cooking skills. Therefore, even if the meal was awful, if I looked gorgeous, he might forget about the food.

  We returned to our room after the “supply raid”. I ended up speechless at what we had bought. I started to feel that the dress was needed.

  What was that? Hard white bread, a bit of meat, which costed a lot, some tomatoes, salt and cabbage leaves.

  What was I supposed to make with that?

  If I were to exclude all of the above, the biggest worry would have been Lily.

  I feared what she’d do if she knew what I was intending to do with them.

  This was going to be my first time cooking for a man! Or for anyone!

  I decided to leave the promised breakfast for tomorrow and think about what he said.

  Alason and I were the only ones who knew the exact locations according to what we were told and even we were in the dark about what would happen precisely in the later stages of the mission.

  We didn’t even know what we had to deliver, but it must have been important.

  When we stepped into Hogar, the only thing we knew was to get to the guild and all eight of us had to order black tea. We were to leave and come back the next day at noon, sit at the same table and order the same thing.

  After we had lunch, the waitress gave us our bill, the “object” and additional information – to where we had to go next.

  “This is only for the leaders,” she whispered while giving us a larger-than-usual bill.

  Her eyes were unusual – silver with a golden hue in the left one. Only they were enough to make me memorise her.

  “This never happened,” was what she told us with a stern but somewhat serene voice before leaving.

  After that, she acted as if it never happened, as if she were a different person.

  The teams were not equal at all.

  Alason and his team were better combat-oriented. All of their members had military training or experience fighting.

  We, the B team, had only our bond and weren’t as good at confrontations as the first.

  Even after adding Roosevelt, we were still weaker compared to them.

  I’d rather us go back to the port of Houston and take a ship to skip The King’s Territories entirely and travel in the safer Northern parts of The Lost Continent, but we were forbidden to do so. Excluding our coming and departure, we had to move on land.

  I myself wondered why we were restricted to this extent.

  Disagreeing with the order would mean, at the very least, severe punishment if not outright death, as it was our Monarch who ordered us to do so.

  Ugh… This was a bigger bother than Alason said it would be… An easy way to get merits, he said. I might not need to do anything, he said.

  Sight…

  After long deliberation in my room, I decided that getting him on board was the best choice, even if we were to waste a couple of days doing nothing. After all, there was no time limit.

  It was peculiar that there wasn’t one. We were supposed to transport this “thing” which was of significant importance to the entire Continent, but we were free to roam however and as long as we wanted.

  My teammates insisted on moving on with our mission and I wonder how were they going to act if I told them in advance about my decision to wait for almost a week. Especially when it was to have one troublemaker join us.

  Excluding Lily and me, the others only heard of his exploits, but were not there to see. The news that he was dangerous and might be terminated had an even worse impact.

  I was sure they would be against it, as he had also left us all with a negative first impression. So, I decided to keep it a secret for a bit longer.

  There was no need to cry over spilt milk.

  I decided to have dinner in the guild. We knocked on the boys' door and all of us went to eat. Afterwards, I wanted to take a bath and go to bed.

  “Mary, you’re too used to bathing. You better stop being so clean. Soon, when we go into the wilderness, we won’t be able to bathe for weeks,” Lily advised me calmly with her gentle voice.

  Sure, she had a point. But I’d rather be clean when meeting him.

  “Precisely because I won’t be able to take baths, I’ll be taking them now for the future!”

  I gave the dumbest possible reply to make her give up.

  She was staring at me. Her expression made it obvious she was wondering what nonsense I told her.

  “Don’t tease me…”

  “Okay, okay. My bad! I decided to enjoy the luxury of bathing while I still could. Soon, I won’t be able to bathe as you said. Why not enjoy it while I still can? It harms no one!”

  “It does harm us! Do you know how costly the water refill is? How costly the warming up is?”

  I was silent. I didn’t know…

  “Whatever. We won’t be staying for long anyway, so wasting a few more bucks won’t be much of a problem,” she gave up.

  “How much does it cost?”

  “20 for the refill and 20 for the heating. If both, then 30.”

  I’d try to bathe less from now on. I had no idea it was that costly.

  The room for a day cost us 40 dollars! Only one room! The hotel didn’t have any offers where food was included, so we had to spend even more to fill our bellies!

  By now, if we add the combat resupplying, we have spent over 1,000 dollars! That’s without counting the expenses for the mission!

  I wonder how much his stay costs him per day. Maybe that was why he picked such a place.

  In the morning, I had no other choice but to make sandwiches. I managed to make six in total.

  I gave one to Lily to see if it was edible.

  “It’s very… tasty,” she replied and smiled.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Good! If Lily was content with it, it should be fine.

  I also prepared a hot drink using the last ingredients we had taken from our home. I put the meal and drink in a small picnic basket. I bought it for one thing – for today, but when we leave, I will have to discard it, as it will have no use.

  Just in case the food was bad, I had the dress and my charm up my sleeve!

  I decided to wear my shirt over the dress. I knew it looked questionable, but the dress neckline was dangerously close to my bosom. A small part of my bra was visible. I considered it too daring to be alone with a man in a room with half my bosom in the open.

  The skirt of the dress was below my ankles. Therefore, it wasn’t dangerously short.

  I was only going to undress the shirt if the food I made was awful, but given Lily’s approval, I doubt it would be needed.

  I went to do my beauty procedures in front of the mirror.

  “Mary, by any chance, are you going to eat them with him?”

  “Yes. I kind of made a promise to bring him breakfast.”

  I was waiting for her to rebuke my actions or to say how worthless he was for making me bring food.

  “I see.”

  But she didn’t. Why?

  Well, I wasn’t going to stir the hornet’s nest.

  The weather was also lovely today. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. I felt better than yesterday as the pleasant breeze cooled me, but it wasn’t strong enough to make me regret wearing the dress.

  The people we met along the way, mostly the men, stopped for a moment to look at me. It made me smile even brighter. This was a good sight.

  The only con was Lily’s annoyance when the passengers did so. I was confident a few men might have tried to start a conversation with me if she hadn’t shown her hostility this openly.

  But was it a con? I had a clean goal in mind and wasting time with idle chatter with strangers wasn’t on my to-do list for today.

  Now knowing where he was, I confidently went to his room. Along the way, I was thinking about possible excuses to be alone with him.

  The receptionist greeted us when he saw us coming into his “hotel”.

  “Good morning.”

  “Morning!” I replied with a smile.

  “Here to see your lover again?” he asked with a cheeky smile.

  If I were to drink water at this moment, I’d have spat it.

  “Hell no,” Lily answered as fast as lightning.

  “Is that so? Then.... Isn’t the time of the day too early for that? You sure are merciless, given his condition. Two at that!”

  Was he saying we were man-eaters?

  Lily was more like a man-crusher…

  “What do you mean?” I tried to play dumb.

  “No need to pull your gun, lass! I was only joking,” the man said, raising his arms before him.

  I instinctively gave my Lily a look.

  She was furious, gun in her arm and aimed at the man.

  I put my hand on her forearm to lower the gun. She calmed a bit and holstered it, but her gaze was fierce.

  “Don’t joke like this. I might take it to some degree, but she isn’t as tolerant,” I warned the man with a serene voice.

  “Yes, ma’am! Sorry, ma’am!” the man wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed.

  There was a real possibility for him to lose his life.

  “By the way…” he continued to talk.

  I saved you once, you better not make the same mistake twice!

  “Speak,” I permitted him.

  “How’s he doing?”

  “What exactly are you asking?”

  “His wound. Saw him barely staggering to his room late at night a few days ago, blood occasionally dripping from his right leg. I wanted to help him, call a doctor, but he rejected. I have my wife check on him now and then. Having a customer dying in a room is bad for the business.”

  I thought you cared for his well-being, but it all boiled down to this establishment's prosperity.

  “He’ll live.”

  “That’s reassuring.”

  On the stairs, I scolded Lily for her outburst.

  “Keep your cool.”

  “But…”

  “No buts. I hope you’ll calm down by the time I exit.”

  “You’ll go alone again?”

  “Yes.”

  She dared not object.

  My sweet escort, Lily, was also outside today. Her sulking didn’t change my mind.

  I decided so beforehand, but her explosive mood gave me a good reason to use if she asked me why.

  After asking and getting permission to enter, I greeted him.

  “Morning!”

  “Morning,” he replied.

  Again, he was in bed, the blanket on top of him, his chest nude. On his face, the barely perceptible beard yesterday was easier to spot today.

  Was he not a morning person or did his condition require a lot of sleep?

  “I made some breakfast. Let’s eat and continue where we stopped yesterday,” I said with a smile while lifting the basket in my left hand, confidently strolled next to him and placed the basket on the bedside furniture, on top of the pile of empty packages.

  It has grown more from yesterday.

  “Take a chair or something,” he proposed and sat on the bed while trying his best not to move the lower part of the wounded leg.

  I got the only chair in the room, which was clean and unused, and sat opposite him.

  He didn’t put anything to hide his naked upper frontal body, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I was surprised his body was so clean. It had no injuries or scars. I thought he was an experienced man with many battles under his belt. It was a surprise.

  I had wrapped the sandwiches in a thin layer of paper.

  I watched him take one, unwrap it and take a bite. He chewed and made no comments.

  Was it that good that it left him speechless?

  Time for me to understand what chef I was! I barely retained my dignified look while keeping my saliva in my mouth!

  After a bite and some chewing, I regretted ever cooking.

  It was salty, the bread was dry and as hard as a rock, the cabbage and tomatoes were unripe and hard and the meat, priced as if it were made of gold, had an unusual, somewhat gamey taste with a strong aftertaste, despite it looking baked enough.

  I don’t think I have ever eaten such meat. I didn’t enjoy it.

  He was already having a second one before I even managed to gulp my first bite!

  Did eating the Mercenary food damage his taste buds? How could he eat this… thing?

  Since he was eating, I should at least eat one sandwich myself…

  It seemed like I’d have to use my hidden weapon.

  I hope he wouldn’t get a nosebleed after I did so! After all, I still remember his fervent gaze on my curves!

  I took off my shirt. The dress barely hid my breasts. Under the dress, I wore a tank top. No matter how many times I looked at myself in the mirror, the dress emphasised my bosom too much.

  I also had my underwear underneath, but it wasn’t something I intended to show. Only tiny bits of my bra were visible, but the tank top covered most of it. That said, only half of my cleavage was hidden.

  I won’t be bending my body with the waist much…

  It wasn’t the first time I wore something like this, but it was one of the few times I did alone with a man before me.

  However, my goal for dressing up as such was successful! With this combination, my curves could be better observed compared to yesterday!

  This should make up for the food…

  After I showed my “womanly charm” in my neat dress, I felt his gaze on my breasts.

  I removed a bit of clothes a second ago and he already gave them a look!

  Good. That would distract him from the food!

  Even if it was the first time in such a place I let a man see me like this, it was worth it!

  Or so I thought.

  He did eye them up, but in just a few seconds, he was eyeing up the food I made.

  Was it that bad that even my chest wasn’t enough? Or were my breasts not to his liking? Didn’t he eye them up a lot yesterday?!

  Both options were bad and I couldn’t be brave enough to ask. It would make me sound slutty.

  “It is still morning. The temperature is not that high to start undressing.”

  “Aren’t you the one who is bare-chested?” I tried to retort.

  “I prefer colder places to hotter ones. If you dislike it that much, I will cover myself with something.”

  “I don’t mind as long as you are comfortable.”

  “Here, have another one.”

  “One is more than enough for me. I made most of the food for you to get better sooner!”

  And who’d want to eat something like this? I was happy for the courtesy he gave me by not insulting my cooking.

  “You look slim. There is no need to go on a diet.”

  “Thanks.”

  “For what? I only said the truth.”

  “He-he~”

  I giggled slightly at his comment. Having a man complementing me always feels good.

  But my smile was gone when I continued to eat.

  After eating the thing I made, I drank a bit of lukewarm Yorkshire Tea I had prepared earlier this morning. The only thing missing from it was the milk.

  I couldn’t find any on the market yesterday, but given the quality of the ingredients I got, it might have been for the better.

  It was the last portion of tea I had. After gulping a few gulps, I gave him the rest.

  He needed to drink something more than I did, as he ate four of the things I made.

  “You have tea? It is rare to see tea in here with such quality. You must have spent a lot.”

  “Let’s keep the price a secret. It’s my treat after all.”

  I was trying to be in a position that emphasised my “femininity”, but nothing too slutty.

  This was now a fight for me to get my self-confidence in my body more than anything! The shallow compliment he gave a while ago wasn’t enough.

  But he almost gave no reaction to my looks! I even considered bending my back upwards slightly!

  By now, I always felt like a hottie… Whenever I went, I stole the men’s gazes.

  But with him, my confidence in my body was shattered. I never thought I’d feel so bad for not being gazed at…

  An awkward silence ensued between us. Did my plan backfire?

  I felt better when we started discussing our future plans.

  “Did you have the time to think it through?” he asked after gulping the tea I gave him in one go.

  “I did. I decided to wait up for a bit. The sooner you get better, the faster we’ll go, but I’ll prioritise your recovery.”

  “If that is the case, then I have questions that need answering. Who do you want me to protect?”

  Our objective was to get the “thing” to the destination or in other words, he only needed to protect the one carrying it…

  “Me.”

  He nodded slightly.

  “With how many are you travelling?”

  “Four. With me included – five. You already met them during the last mission. Do you remember them?”

  “I probably do not. Excluding Lily and you, I mean.”

  I was silent for a moment. There wasn’t much interaction between the others and him, but to forget them this fast? Given the fast rate he forgave his name, it was possible. It was also possible that he joked with us back then and even now.

  “You remember Lily and me. I’ll reintroduce you to the other three when you meet in person.”

  “Exact location of travelling?”

  “It’s… I’m sorry, but this is a secret. The only thing I can say is that it should take two or three months if everything goes well,” I dodged the question somewhat.

  “I see. The pay?”

  With the amount of savings we had, I couldn’t give too much, but too little would make him turn me down.

  I had to consider the expenses along the way. Now, we were rich, but did we have enough until the end? In just a week, we used up 3,000 dollars! That’s half our funds!

  “I can pay you 750 dollars.”

  He was silent for a bit. Was it too little?

  Before I said anything else, he continued asking.

  “What will the type of mission be? Official or unofficial?”

  He asked me if the mission’s description would be written down and submitted to the guild or would be a verbal agreement.

  I’d prefer to have it written and submit a proper request, but that was difficult to do without attracting attention.

  “Unofficial.”

  After some heavy silence, he spoke.

  “You want me to escort you. You are in a group with four more. The travel will take two or three months to somewhere in the most dangerous region in the Continent. The pay is 750 dollars and the contract will be unofficial.”

  I could feel he would reject my offer.

  I wish I had something else ready to offer, but I didn’t have anything else prepared. Such a pity.

  Okay, there might be another hidden “weapon” I could use, but I’d rather not, as Lily was outside and I wasn’t sure I needed his help that much...

  I prepared mentally for his reply and readied a counteroffer.

  “You are in luck. I myself have to go somewhere far into The King’s Territories. As long as our paths are in the same or similar direction, some babysitting should be acceptable for me”.

  “I see. I’m sorry to hear you…”

  Wait. Did I hear correctly?

  “Could you repeat?” I asked to check if I had started to hear things.

  “I said I will be your bodyguard. But my destination and goals will also be hidden from you.”

  That was unexpected.

  Did my chest actually help me in the negotiation?

  He won’t demand me to “pay” with my body, would he? Please say so!

  Or at the very least, he must prove himself worthy of having me…

  “About the pay,” he disrupted my thoughts and I panicked.

  Was he actually going to want “that” type of payment?! And in advance?! I had to reject it if that was the case!

  “I will take the money after the contract is over. In the case of my protectee being killed, I will not be paid. Note that I may need to stop travelling with you at some point. In that case, you should pay me one-third of the end payment if I had travelled with you for no less than a month. We can go no earlier than… four or five days. Yes, I will be ready in four days. Is there anything else I missed or you are unhappy with?”

  After considering the proposal, I thought it was decent.

  He might stop travelling with us at some point, but his help should be good enough, even if for a while.

  “I agree with the proposal,” I agreed while giving my hand for a shake.

  We did a handshake to seal the unofficial contract.

  During the exchange, I could feel that his body temperature was high.

  On closer examination, he was pale and had a red face. A fever? Was he okay?

  His movements yesterday and today did seem a bit sluggish.

  Should I stay and take care of him? I decided to check on him for a while every day.

  It should also reduce the chance of him being assassinated.

  If he was of some use, he shouldn’t be disposed of for what he had done.

  “Also,” he added after the handshake, “would you be so kind as to inform your compatriots of my joining in advance?”

  Bullseye. He hit the mark. Was I so obvious?

  “What are you talking about? They already know!” I tried to hide the truth.

  “I do not care either way. Do as you wish. I would rather them not staring daggers at me, though.”

  “By the way, how may I address you?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

  Although I knew he called himself Raven, how could I explain knowing it? It was best to let him tell before uttering it by mistake.

  “I do not use my real name. Just pick one up and use it”.

  After some thinking, I decided to call him “Neb”. If I remember correctly, that name meant “Nobody”.

  I felt that the reason why he was using a fake name was because he didn’t want to be remembered, didn’t want to have any legacy after him.

  It was sad when I thought this way. Still, it was just a guess of mine.

  “I’ll be calling you “Neb” until you feel like telling me your real name.”

  He looked at me with a gobsmacked expression.

  What? You didn’t like that name? Then give me the one you prefer!

  He took out a piece of paper from his backpack and began reading it.

  “Raven. Yes, Raven will do.”

  Then Raven you will be!

  “Nice to meet you, Raven.”

  “Same with me, Miss Mary.”

  With that, we made a deal and I fulfilled the promise from yesterday.

  “By the way, if you feel like telling me, why do you want to cross through the middle of the Continent?”

  “To get to the other side.”

  “I mean, why not take a boat?”

  “There are a few reasons. It will take an unknown amount of time, it will be expensive and I will have to hope the ship that took me in will stop close to my destination. It could take a year before the stars align to this extent.”

  “You’ve got a point. Anyway, it’s time to say goodbye. I might come to visit you tomorrow if you permit me.”

  “I see no reason not to. Have a nice day.”

  “Thanks! You too!”

  I left the room, but I felt like I was forgetting something. I wondered why I had that feeling.

  I went out of the room and saw Lily looking at me in amazement and felt a bit colder.

  That reminded me that I undressed a bit some time ago. Ops…

  I went back into the room to get my forgotten shirt.

  “Sorry, Raven, I forgot my clothes,” I said while entering to retake my shirt.

  I wondered why I said so. From an outsider's point of view, that would’ve sounded worse than it was. Lily peeked into the room through the door to see what was happening.

  Raven made a hand gesture that meant “Hi” to Lily. Lily’s reply was a stone-cold expression and the middle finger. He gave her one himself. I could feel the sparks in the air.

  Lily was in a dark mood for the rest of the day.

  At night, we went into the boys’ rooms to hold a meeting about our next actions.

  The reason why we went into someone’s room was to keep the conversation private. The reason why we chose their room was to ensure they kept it tidy. Boys could be such sloths at times.

  “Have we all rested?” I inquired about their conditions.

  They replied positively. One reason to stay was out.

  “How are the preparations for the journey?” I continued.

  “We have everything ready,” Roosevelt replied.

  “Are we sure about that?”

  “Yes, I checked twice if anything was forgotten.”

  And another reason was out, as if Roosevelt was sure, it was certainly so. I had to think of other reasons…

  “There were towering clouds in the sky around sunset,” Leo added out of nowhere.

  “So what?” Liy asked.

  “I fear it might rain soon.”

  “Rain or no, we should start moving. We've stayed here long enough already. It’s not like we’ll melt from a little rain. Aren’t we all used to the rain?” Rich countered Leo.

  This gave me an idea.

  “I think we should stay a bit longer here. We shouldn’t start our journey in such weather. It brings bad luck! Any objections?”

  They all looked at each other, but no one said anything. I managed to stall for some time!

  It was night. Lily and I were in our room. I wanted to take a bath, but refrained. But…

  “Mary, would you like to bathe?”

  “Hmm… No, not today,” I refused the alluring offer.

  “Let’s take a bath together. I feel dirty and want to clean myself. Why don’t we save resources and take one simultaneously? The last time I went after you, the water was cold.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  I was considering whether to pick on her for wasting money, but I thought it would be too much. And she might remind me how much I had wasted already.

  “Sure, why not?”

  After Lily ordered our bath to be filled with hot water and after the delivery half an hour later, we took a bath.

  We closed the window and locked the door for safety reasons. What would we do if someone waited for us with a gun after the bath?

  We both undressed. We had the healthy bodies of young women in their prime. However, mine was a tad more developed than hers. Still, with my care and tutelage, her femininity and beauty were hard to deny. If her wariness of men gets healed, she’d have many suitors.

  A few years ago, her body had scars from her childhood “training”. They were slowly healing with time and now her body couldn’t be a reminder of her days in “training”.

  She’s relatively strong. She didn’t look muscular, but was stronger than the average man.

  As for the chest… It was the same as when we reunited in look and feel a couple of years ago.

  Once, as payback for always grabbing mine while bathing, I did so to hers. They were hard. I haven’t done so after that.

  Her body’s only con was the mark on her back. The tattoo is not bad, I even find it pretty, but it has a negative meaning in our country. I’ll describe it another time.

  The bath was already steamy by the time we entered. After the hot water wet my body, I was assaulted from behind! She grabbed my chest out of the blue! This naughty girl! I fell for her trap!

  “What are you thinking about, my dear Mary? Why are you stalling for time?” she asked while fondling my breasts!

  This wasn’t good. She knew what I was doing and decided to interrogate me. Her cheeky feel on one of my most intimate parts proved her determination.

  There was no point in hiding it. It was going to be known soon anyway. I hope she’d take it well.

  “You remember the one in our team? The one who didn’t give us his name?”

  When I spoke, she stopped moving her hands, but continued to grip my breasts.

  “The one you went twice to see how he was? To that shabby place? Where you… undressed in front of him?” she whispered the last part, her mood anything but positive.

  Could you not put it that way?! You misunderstood!

  “I was thinking of inviting him to travel with us. He said that he also had to travel north. We could help each other.”

  She relaxed her grip and I turned to face her. She spoke with a serene voice.

  “Mary, he’s more than meets the eye. He’s dangerous and I have no idea how much. It’ll be good to talk it over with our compatriots. They’ll support your decision, whatever it might be.”

  She was right. I couldn’t hide it for long. I’d have another meeting tomorrow and ask about their opinions.

  “Let’s bathe before the water becomes cold,” I said, giving her grabby hands the soap.

  She accepted and started rubbing my back.

  “How should I punish you for your impudence?” I asked her.

  Her hand twitched for a moment.

  “I’m ready to accept whatever you decide.”

  “Good girl. After we are done, massage my back.”

  “As you wish.”

  We bathed and exited the bathroom. After drying myself a bit, I donned my lower undergarment, laid down with my face on my bed, rested my head on the pillow and waited for Lily.

  She dressed in her underwear, opened the window as the steam had nowhere to go and sat on my thighs. She started to rub my back gently. Her soft thigh skin was rubbing against mine.

  The next day, all five of us had breakfast and a meeting in the boys’ room.

  They heard about my plan to recruit Raven and the conditions of our contract.

  “I was wondering about your opinions. Mind sharing them with me?” I asked them.

  The first to do so was Leo.

  “I don’t like that punk. He was also a thorn for us. And he didn’t even give us his real name. I can’t trust someone like that.”

  “Based on what I heard when you found him and considering his health condition, he should have trouble travelling for a while. However, if he’s ready in three or four days, I find that a reasonable timeframe for us to wait,” Rich somewhat gave his approval.

  “He’s dangerous. He must be proficient in fighting humans. I need to check if he could be a threat to us and our mission,” Roosevelt warned.

  He and Lily were our human combatants, so they knew best about that.

  As for Lily’s opinion.

  “No objections.”

  Her words surprised me and I looked at her. I thought she’d be the one most against it.

  “What? You thought about that for so long. You are our leader. You decide and we follow. And you already made a contract, so it might be problematic not to follow it up. Just know that I’ll keep an eye on him.”

  After she explained her reasoning, I felt assured she wouldn’t go and try to kill him during the night.

  “Can you make him show us his combat prowess?” Roosevelt asked.

  “In what way?”

  “I’m willing to spar with him.”

  “I’ll look for a way to find the opportunity to allow you to spar with him, but I cannot promise you anything.”

  Some of us agreed, some disagreed and the third wanted to test him. Overall, it went better than I thought.

  As I had nothing else to do, I explored the stronghold with Lily, read a book in my room or visited Raven for the next few days.

  The rest of my teammates, excluding Lily, who was always with me, either trained or did fast missions for a few more dollars to spare.

  During that time, there was also a constant light rain that stopped after two days.

  Raven’s condition was getting better over time. His pale complexion was gone the day I informed my compatriots that I wanted to recruit him.

  On the last day before his recovery…

  “Greetings!” I greeted him as usual.

  “Hi.”

  I loved the dress I bought so much that I wore it the entire time I went out or met with the one before me. Even during rainy days! An umbrella and a jacket were enough to keep me dry.

  His beard had grown a bit and his leg was still bandaged, but there was no fresh blood. He also had a healthy look and his eyes weren’t sleepy. He, again, showed his manly chest.

  “You seem to be better. Would you be ready by tomorrow?”

  “More or less. I just need to take a bath and shave,” he said while looking at a broken part of a mirror in his hand.

  The small mirror in our bathroom, compared to what he had, was enormous.

  “In fact, I was thinking of doing so right now. Had the hotel staff refill it with boiling water around 10 minutes ago,” he continued.

  “I see. I guess I came at the wrong time. Will be off then.”

  “It’s fine. You can even help me.”

  Are you asking me to take a bath with you or what? Aren’t you too bold there, mister? Want me to stay for the night with you too?

  I was thinking of rejecting him, but I remembered my talk with Lily last night.

  I told her about my plan to try to seduce him to an extent to make him more docile, as most of us were wary of him. A man in love would do everything for his crush, wouldn’t he?

  She gave me the emptiest look I've ever seen from her.

  After staring at me in silence for half a minute, she scolded me and told me to be wary.

  “What if you were to go too far and become pregnant? What were we going to do?” she dared to ask me such a question!

  I wasn’t thinking of going “that” far! Pervert! How did you even think about something like that? Weren’t you the one who hated that interaction between man and woman the most?

  She even proposed to do it in my stead!

  I did my best to say it was impossible for her in a gentle way.

  She finally gave in, but wondered why I told her it needed to be me instead of her.

  “Wait. Don’t tell me… You want to become pregnant from him?!”

  What was with you!? And I did my best to tell you off gently!

  “What?! No! I have known him for about a week! How could I fall in love for that period of time? I just think that my… womanly charm will do better!”

  “Aha…”

  She gave me the empty look again.

  “This is exactly what I mean. No man would want a woman with such a stare!”

  I told her because if she hadn’t known, he might have died in his sleep. Another reason was that she was my best friend and a girl herself. She knew the importance of the interaction between different genders, despite lacking the experience and will to understand it. For her, men only wanted women to warm their nights.

  As for keeping it a secret from the boys… They’d have rejected it. Would leave that trouble for later.

  Back to the present, I decided to make a move!

  “I’m willing to help you a bit,” I said while pretending to be embarrassed.

  He gave me a confused look and asked.

  “What?”

  “I said I’d wash your back!” I affirmed my intentions.

  He was still looking at me. Why was he? I’d only help him, I wouldn’t join.

  “Since you feel like doing so, then enjoy yourself.”

  What did he mean by that? I already saw his naked front part of his upper body. What difference would seeing the back make?

  Or so I thought until he got up and removed his clothes. I wasn’t thinking that he would interrupt it as such! I covered my eyes with my hands before seeing everything he had and he mocked me.

  “Why are you covering your eyes? Was this not what you were waiting for?”

  “It’s a misunderstanding! Please, go into the bath or hide your… “thing”!” I exclaimed.

  My heart rate just went up. A pure maiden like myself shouldn’t be doing this! But it was too late… I already said I would and the misunderstanding occurred…

  The dilemma…

  One must abide by the words they spoke. I always keep my word, unless the other party breaks their part of the deal.

  “What are you talking about? I still have my lower underwear. Or do you want to see what is below it?”

  Forgive me, mother, father! Wait… lower underwear?

  I peeked through my fingers and saw that he wasn’t entirely naked. He wore grey boxers.

  It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen naked male bodies before, but playing as an innocent maiden was what I usually did. I also had no desire to see his “thing”, let alone…

  “Don’t scare me like that.”

  I sighed with relief and he rolled his eyes.

  “Just help me clean my back if you desire so.”

  He got the unusual combat knife from his backpack.

  “What are you intending to do with it?” I asked, in fear I might get skinned alive.

  “This? I use it to shave,” he replied as if it were the normal thing to do.

  “Didn’t you use it to kill undead?”

  “Yes, what about?”

  “Well, how to put it…”

  I couldn’t say I felt disgusted about it, could I?

  “The knife was cleaned and disinfected, so no zombie traces are left on it. And even if there were, it was for my use, not someone else's. I will be going in. You can come in a minute. Unless you want to see everything I have to offer.”

  “Go in. I’ll come in a minute or two.”

  He entered and I followed him into the bathroom soon after. There was a washtub filled with water. The room wasn’t as steamy as when I took a bath, even if it was smaller compared to my hotel’s bathroom. The small window at the corner helped with that.

  He was with his back towards me inside the washtub; only his neck, head and hair were visible. I couldn’t see the knife anywhere. He must have had it on him.

  He turned around and gave me a look.

  “You sure you want to come in here with so many clothes? What if you get wet and your attendant outside sees you? She would probably kill me! Unless you want to stay until your clothes dry, next to a naked man that is.”

  That left me speechless. I couldn’t be sure if he was teasing me or was serious.

  “Will be back in a bit,” I replied and exited.

  Calm down, myself. I often stayed in my underwear when I was alone with Lily after a hot bath back home.

  And I was doing this for the mission. Things won’t go “that” far, would they?

  Well… If I did really need his help, they might. I didn’t think I needed him that much, however.

  I left most of my clothes on the chair’s back.

  In my dark blue silk lace underwear, I re-entered the bathroom.

  “I thought you gave up,” he said with genuine surprise and made a sigh.

  What was the sigh for? I’m only here to help you!

  This time, the upper part of his body was visible. His back had muscles, but his build wasn’t that muscular.

  “Well, I more or less feel healthy, so I might entertain you,” he continued.

  What? What did he mean by that? I had a bad feeling, but came closer.

  His back was already wet. I took the soap in the room and washed his back. The water was cooler compared to when I used to bathe, but slightly warmer than what I’d describe as lukewarm.

  I rubbed his back in silence. He also didn’t speak. If I weren’t feeling embarrassed, I might have found the situation awkward – no, it was more erotic than anything. That was my biggest concern. I feared how he’d react, what he’d do.

  During my “first time washing a man”, I could feel my heartbeat racing. Was that how every girl felt when she was this close to a naked man while washing his back?

  With barely hot water at that? Wait, how was he content with such water? Well, at least it wasn’t cold.

  The water was losing its warmth fast and the small window was taking most of the hot steam.

  Also, what about his wounded leg? I looked around and saw the bloody bandage on the ground, thrown next to the wall. Had his leg already recovered?

  “I’ll finish by myself and come back in a bit. Make yourself at home. Of course, you could help me wash my front if you want to. I’ll be entertaining your thoughts for half an hour in a bit.”

  I was gobsmacked. Like hell I was going to help you wash with any more soon-to-be-cold water!

  At this rate, you might as well invite me to bathe with you! And I didn’t want to wash your front! And what the hell did you mean by “entertain my thoughts” for half an hour?! Pervert!

  I had a bad feeling about all this as I went to his room and sat on the only chair, with crossed arms and legs. Still, even if I knew it’d be better for me to get out of his room, why did I stay?

  I’d better clarify if there was a misunderstanding, otherwise problems might occur during the journey.

  Later, he came out with a towel in hand. It was covering his groin. He started drying his hair with the same towel after seeing me.

  But what I was most interested in was why he was wearing nothing?!

  I hid my eyes with my arms once again as there was a full view of his… manhood. This time, I involuntarily saw it!

  “Were you not intending to mate with me?” he asked me, confused as if it was the most natural thing there was in the world.

  If Lily heard him, she’d have already started shooting him!

  The wounded beast healed and he went back to looking with whom to mate! My arousing body was his prime pick! Just imagining what he’d do made my crossed legs tighten and I wanted to hide my groin with both arms, while my face became more flushed.

  Was Lily right? Were all males worthless? Should I start liking girls?

  “You should not be this bold. Were it most other Mercenaries instead of yours truly, you would have been raped,” he said while I braved to peek with one eye at him.

  He used the towel to wrap himself and hide his… “manly part” that was “ready for action”.

  I almost had a heart attack! I relaxed my arms and legs. Had me worried there…

  I was unsure which amazed me more: my lack of knowledge about men from other countries or the fact that he paused to scold me. Both were troubling, but the latter hurt me the most.

  I was glad he stopped, don’t get me wrong. Yes, his body looked decent, but I wasn’t… ehem wet ehem and I had no desire to sleep with every third man I see.

  However, I felt rejected. I’m used to always being liked by men, always being the hottest hottie in the room, the one all wanted to have, even if only for one round in their life.

  If I wanted to sleep with anyone, I’d have most of them ready with just a sentence.

  Yet he resisted? Was I really that unattractive in his eyes?! I won’t be able to sleep without knowing the answer!

  “Hey, am I really that unattractive?” I said with a relatively cold voice, compared to usual, my embarrassment gone and my smile replaced with a frown.

  “I would give your looks six out of ten, but with that expression, I might lower it by half a point,” he replied nonchalantly and turned around to get dressed, his back facing me.

  “What does that mean?” I asked further.

  At this point, I knew I was sounding as if I wanted “it”, but my womanhood would have forever been damaged were I to give up.

  “It is a relatively high score. Most women I see are three or four, while the best sluts at the brothel are five at the most.”

  So, according to him, I was slightly better than them? I felt like strangling him.

  I gave him a blank look. My womanly pride took a critical hit.

  “Do not give me that look,” he said after donning dark red shorts and realising I was staring daggers at him.

  I kept staring at him in silence while he was dressing up. I showed my dissatisfaction and waited for his reply or at least an apology.

  “Um…”

  He was about to say something, but didn’t. Neither of us spoke; the sounds from outside and the ones from when he dressed up were the only things making noise.

  After less than a minute, when he dressed up and sat on the bed, his legs spread, he broke the silence with an apology.

  “Okay, sorry, my bad. I’m dense when there is a half-naked girl in my room.”

  You were pretty bold if you ask me. Wait…

  “Half-naked?” I slightly tilted my head.

  “You are still in your undergarments.”

  Was I? I gave myself a look. I was… No wonder he came out naked! Were I in his shoes, I might have already started … “doing things” to a gorgeous babe such as myself!

  “Excuse me,” I said with slight embarrassment and picked up my dress.

  “I do not mind. You can stay as you are. The view is not bad.”

  I bet it wasn’t, but this didn’t matter now. Still, I found the situation a golden opportunity to tease him.

  “Not bad? If you said the view was gorgeous, I might have stayed as such for a while longer.”

  “The view would have been better if there were fewer clothes. They disrupt the scenery.”

  That was the most roundabout way of someone telling me he wanted to “do” me in. Still, it was somewhat enjoyable to experience his flirts. Even more so, after he hurt my pride in my body!

  It meant he saw me as a woman, that I was sexy in his eyes! Meaning my body was still hot! My confidence in my body has been restored! The world is back to normal!

  “Dress up before you catch a cold. Or do you want me to warm you?”

  “I’d rather dress up. Thank you for the offer,” I rejected him politely and playfully.

  Before we could tease each other more, we were disrupted by a displeased voice.

  “Keep it quiet, bastards! I had and will have a night guard shift and cannot fall asleep because of you pricks! Either fuck already and be quiet or just fuck off and be quiet!”

  Someone roared from a neighbouring room, suggesting something that made me embarrassed. I could feel my cheeks becoming redder.

  “Sorry!” I apologised and started whispering.

  “Aren’t the walls soundproof?”

  “Not at all. You can hear your neighbours as if they are next to you. Also…”

  He answered me and roared at the stranger.

  “… shut the hell up and go to sleep. Or would you like me to help you sleep for eternity?!”

  “Put a sock in it!”

  Before they continued to fight, I wanted to ask him something.

  “Is the door…”

  But was there any need for me to ask him?

  “What?”

  “Nothing…”

  We weren’t talking that loud and that man heard us. Therefore, Lily could listen to our conversations, including this spicy one, from the beginning…

  I had the gut feeling that she wasn’t pleased right now. Nothing happened, so she shouldn’t try assassinating him. As long as she didn’t have the look of the Grim Reaper when I saw her, everything would be fine.

  I dropped the piece of clothing in my arms on the chair and went closer to him while he sat on the bed. I was a few inches away from him. The distance was such that if he stretched his hands, he would barely be unable to touch me. I whispered.

  “You will be healed up by tomorrow, right?” I asked for confirmation again.

  “Either late this day or early tomorrow and I will be more or less in good enough shape.”

  He also replied with a quieter voice.

  “I see. That’s good. I would like you to meet my companions again at the guild tomorrow at around 10:00 a.m. They want to know you better.”

  They wanted to test you, but “know you better” sounded better.

  “No problems, future boss lady.”

  “Don’t call me boss lady!”

  I didn’t like how it sounded. “Teammate”, “Compatriot” or even “friend” was way better.

  “Then, how would you like me to call you?”

  “Mary would be sufficient.”

  “But it sounds so blank.”

  “Sorry for having such a blank name,” I replied, my expression blank, but showing a hint of annoyance.

  “I mean… Why use your real name? This line of work can make lots of enemies.”

  Oh, I see.

  “Well, I don’t have any right now and I like the name my parents gave me.”

  “I see,” he replied with a hard-to-read expression.

  Did my reply upset him? Did he have lots of enemies? Or did he have problems with his family?

  “Let’s say I wanted to use a fake name. What would describe me well?”

  “Beats me. I know too little about you to give you a good one. I know neither your achievements, nor you well enough nor your body.”

  What did knowing my body have to do with anything?

  “Then how did you get yours?” I asked, trying to ignore his sexual hint.

  “It is a long story…”

  About you murdering someone and stealing their personality?

  “I might have the time to tell you if you were to stay for the night.”

  “I’ll file a complaint if you continue with your sexual harassment.”

  I waited for his reply. I might have gone overboard with that tease.

  “They only accept written ones. The mail is the first trash can you see.”

  “Pff… I’ll fill one long for them then~~”

  I could barely hold my laughter. This was good and all, but I feared how much Lily could hear…Even whispering, I feared she might get the wrong idea.

  “Well, I checked to see if you were well and I’ll be on my way. Don’t forget about tomorrow! Bye!” I said and prepared to leave before we thought of other ways to tease each other.

  If things continued as they were, there might come the opportunity for him to know my body.

  That was something I shouldn’t allow.

  “What a shame. I really wanted to continue looking at you in your underwear. Anyway, tomorrow, 10:00, got it. See you soon.”

  I pretended I didn’t hear the first part and was on my way. Whether he was joking or not was something I wasn’t certain of.

  If he were sincere, I could gain an advantage. However, to give him the opportunity to have me, he must demonstrate significant potential and a willingness to help me achieve my goals.

  But I didn’t leave before dressing up! I wasn’t going to repeat that mistake!

  Still, I decided to tease him by dressing up in front of him, while slightly emphasising my body curves.

  “View is great, but could you bend your rear a bit more?”

  “Be glad with the view I already am giving you!” I replied while looking at him, but I did bend a tiny bit more.

  Seeing was the least harmful one, after all.

  I dressed up, starting with my upper clothes – the tank top. At one point while I was donning the dress, I might’ve forgotten myself and emphasised my bottom a bit too much. When I realised, I was almost done.

  He didn’t get up and grab me or try touching me, so he knew when to stop. He wasn’t trying to seduce me. Okay, he might have, but he knew when to stop. I should also stop before I give him the wrong illusion.

  “If you have anything to say before I leave, now is the moment.”

  Okay, last one. For real this time!

  “The show was so-so. Can you do the same but in the reverse order? That would be nicer to watch. You can also come closer. I will not bite. At worst, maybe touch a bit.”

  “Dream on!” I replied while rolling my eyes.

  “I need more materials to get a good dream with you.”

  I didn’t need to ask what “materials” he talked about. I decided it was time to leave for real.

  “Bye! See you tomorrow! 10:00 a.m.! Don’t forget!”

  “Bye, 10:00, got it already.”

  Lily was waiting for me outside. Her look wasn’t resembling the Grim Reaper, but it wasn’t ecstatic either.

  She heard all of our conversations from the first day. Maybe she couldn’t pick up the entirety of today’s, but even if she didn’t, my slightly blushed face would tell her more than enough.

  “… Were you able to hear everything since the first day?” I asked her.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “…”

  “…”

  “Do you have anything to say about eavesdropping?”

  “You ordered me to not enter without permission. There was nothing about perceiving your conversations.”

  “You cheeky girl!” I said and pinched her cheeks.

  “This is your punishment!”

  “Ow, Mistress, it hurts a little,” she mocked.

  I couldn’t be too mad since all she did was to protect me in case he did something harmful to me.