By Zephyria Vincent was a good teacher.
There were indeed many differences between human intercourse and beast intercourse. The most significant was the existence of erogenous zones. Vincent said one shouldn’t focus on procreation. He said it was about giving and receiving love, not just inserting and ejaculating, and that there were many places to touch in sequence.
You can lick inside the mouth, too. I had never seen beasts lick and suck each other’s mouths so deeply. Do humans do that? I tried tracing my tongue around the inside of my mouth, but I wasn’t sure. When I asked if it really felt good, the answer I got was that I’d have to try it to know. What if I didn’t like it? If the other person didn’t dislike it, just pretend you do.
I learned many other things.
It was about common human erogenous zones, parts of the body that might or might not be erogenous zones, the dictionary definition of a kiss, and how to ask for permission before kissing. He said that parts of the body that are ticklish are likely to be erogenous zones. I’ll have to try tickling them during the act.
However, the most important part, intercourse itself, was glossed over.
“And when you get to the main event, just do as Lord Benson tells you.”
“⋯Hm?”
“Well, it varies from person to person, but… you two have known each other for a long time, haven’t you? You’ve apparently never been apart for more than a week since your Academy days.”
“Yes.”
“Then Lord Benson will already know that Sir Brooks is very slow when it comes to these things.”
“⋯That’s…”
“In that case, I think it would be better to honestly say you don’t really know and suggest working on it together. Sometimes, being clumsy in these areas can be good. Honesty is always best between lovers, no matter what anyone says.”
“⋯.”
“Do you have any more questions?”
Hugh was a man who liked flowers, and the Emperor narrowed his brow the more honestly I behaved.
“When I act honestly, His Majesty says there’s no romance…”
“⋯.”
“⋯.”
“⋯Well. So, um, let’s first think about how to time a kiss. Ah, this is hard to explain in words… First of all, you absolutely must start in a place where only the two of you are present. If you suddenly initiate physical contact in a place where many people come and go, it can be embarrassing for both of you.”
That had happened once before. I nodded.
“Since there’s a slight difference in your height, you should look down at them, close your eyes slightly like this.”
“⋯.”
“No. Don’t open them so languidly! When did I ever do that?”
The lecture that followed was more difficult. The Emperor taught more clearly than Vincent, which I assumed meant the Emperor had more experience. Still, I tried my best to learn, grateful for Vincent’s earnest efforts to teach me.
There were many rooms for knights in the Widdrow Duchy. Now, Hugh and I share a room. Even though no one scolds or admonishes us for sharing a room, whether it’s two or three of us, Hugh still glances around the hallway every time he enters.
Deep in the night. We lie side by side on the same bed, sharing the fluffy duvet.
Hugh loved to talk, and I loved listening to his voice. So, on nights like these, I would usually fall asleep listening to Hugh’s various stories. He must have had a lot to share with me after a busy day.
As I listened quietly, I thought I might be able to kiss those moving lips. Having heard so much praise for kissing, I was eager to try it. Romance. Atmosphere. Mood. I wasn’t sure about the specifics, but I was certain that the first kiss shouldn’t be rushed.
Ideally, I wished Hugh would tell a more romantic, cute story.
On days when Hugh found a good bargain at a market stall or received a nice gift, he would excitedly talk for two or three hours about how fate had led him to acquire such a good item. He looked so happy and cute then, so I hoped he had had a good day today as well.
Waiting for him to open his mouth, I wrapped my arms around Hugh’s slender waist. Vincent had said that lovers stiffen with tension when they embrace, but Hugh and I were accustomed to this closeness. He leaned into my embrace and closed his eyes.
And said nothing.
What was wrong? Hugh only kept his mouth shut and said nothing when he was exhausted or in a bad mood. I waited quietly, then gently tapped his shoulder and asked,
“Are you tired?”
“Yeah. Sleep well.”
“⋯.”
This was hopeless. I wanted to kiss him now. Should I just go ahead and do it?
Maybe I shouldn’t have pulled him into my embrace. If our faces had been closer, perhaps I could have playfully rubbed our lips together. Should I pull him up a bit to rest his head on a pillow?
But perhaps the time I spent pondering these things was too long, because Hugh began to breathe softly.
“⋯Asleep?”
“⋯.”
“⋯.”
It seemed it wouldn’t happen today.
I just slept too.
The next day. Hugh woke up first again. The moment I saw him sitting up, disheveled, with his eyes half-open and yawning widely, I knew this was my chance. I want to kiss him. I also sat up abruptly, but Hugh glanced at me and chuckled.
“Hey, your hair.”
“⋯My hair?”
“Yeah. Did you sleep while tearing it out? What is it.”
Hugh’s hand naturally stroked and smoothed my hair. Now was the time. The angle was perfect. I closed my eyes slightly, just as Vincent had taught me. Then, Hugh’s hand pressed down on my head, pushing it into the pillow. As I tried to sit up in surprise, he covered my eyes with his hand.
“If you’re sleepy, sleep more. I’m going to see the Duke today.”
“⋯No, that’s not it…”
“No? What then? You’re so weak, you can barely stand. When you’re more awake later, let’s see the kids. Marianne and Benjamin said they’d be happy to meet after a long time and suggested we have a meal together.”
“⋯Mm.”
“Who does she think she is, offering to buy a meal… Speaking of which, what happened to your salary this month? Are you going to manage it yourself now?”
“No. In Hugh’s bag.”
“My bag? What color.”
“Black… A rectangular one.”
“Ah, that. Don’t hide it secretly, just tell me. You’re like a squirrel, honestly.”
“⋯.”
“If you need pocket money, just ask. I’m leaving.”
…A glorious failure.
Around noon, Hugh and I went to meet Marianne and Benjamin.
Marianne and Benjamin were good children. Hugh particularly liked Marianne. He said they communicated well and were quick-witted, so it wasn’t stifling to be around her. Watching the two of them giggle at each other somehow put me at ease. Like those days crossing the desert with Blue Star.
Even as we ate the food, their mouths didn’t stop.
“Yeldidus knelt? Are you talking about Duke Yeldidus? That woman with the hazy hair and eye color?”
“Yes! Duke Yeldidus! When she suddenly plopped down on the bare ground, without any carpet or anything, all her escort knights and everyone were flustered and couldn’t say a word, but she pretended to cover her face so prettily and shed tears, you know.”
“She was acting.”
“Of course, she was acting. The only one fooled from beginning to end was Michael. Duke Yeldidus’s knights surrounded the mercenary carriage that was about to leave, the Duke pretended to be pitiful and pretty, shedding tears… blocking their escape route and acting so weak all by herself, truly.”
“They’re birds of a feather, I guess. Is that something you’re just born with? Setting up the situation first and trying to control everything. Do you think people’s true intentions will unfold exactly as they predict?”
“Hahaha! That’s blasphemous. His Majesty the Emperor didn’t use people like that, though.”
“That bastard Michael… he’s not the type to care about others’ opinions…”
“⋯That’s true. Anyway, I think Lady Kiadris saw through it all. When Duke Yeldidus cried and cried until she fainted, Lady Kiadris just kept looking down at her with a smile, so she definitely knew.”
“She fainted? Was that acting too?”
“That’s what it looked like to me. When the tear-acting didn’t work, she deliberately stopped breathing. But when she gasped for air and collapsed, Lady Kiadris was so shocked and frantic…”
“She’s ruthless, truly. Both of them are not right in the head.”
Marianne recounted events that happened while she accompanied Michael on his honeymoon. Even for trivial matters, Hugh and Marianne repeatedly marveled, shook their heads, burst into laughter, and sighed. I didn’t quite understand why the interactions of three women falling in and out of favor were so entertaining.
Benjamin silently finished the remaining food.
Normally, I would have done the same, but now my gaze kept drifting to Hugh’s moving lips. Watching him chew, swallow, and speak—these everyday actions—was five times more interesting than listening to stories about strangers.
“Still, in the end, it turned out the way Lady Kiadris wanted. What was it again? She wanted a grand wedding that would make the entire Yeldidus territory buzz, and immediately after marriage, she wanted to receive a succession title held by the Duke and participate in the Duchy’s politics, while she would hand over a tiara and receive a substantial dowry, close to a property division, and also have a separate mansion.”
“Can succession of titles work like that?”
“Well, since she’s getting married, I guess it can be arranged somehow. It was something about temporarily holding the right to inherit a title that would be passed to a child, wasn’t it? It’s usually something that only happens when a spouse dies, so I thought it was completely absurd, but when the Emperor and the Duke were together, even impossible things became possible.”
“What’s this about having a separate mansion?”
“It’s probably so she can escape whenever she wants, so she’d better be careful, right?”
“What about the mercenary who was said to be following Lady Kiadris?”
“She begged the Lady to be her escort knight, but he refused, saying he couldn’t. His line at the time was truly insane. ‘Sorry. I don’t think I can watch my princess fall in love with someone else and smile. If you’re ready to come to me, send me a letter, and I’ll be your escort knight a hundred times over.’”
“In front of Yeldidus? That’s crazy.”
“Yes, he said it so openly! But, I think he did it to provoke Yeldidus. He kept subtly appealing, saying he’d wait anytime, and she was almost dying of irritation.”
“Lady Kiadris’s taste is understandable. How does she only attract people like that?”
“Exactly. If Michael and the Emperor weren’t watching, the Duke would have hired an assassin.”
“I understand Michael, but why the Emperor?”
“Michael has become quite good at seeing and hearing many things. Knowing that, His Majesty the Emperor apparently subtly pressured Yeldidus. He warned her to behave herself so she wouldn’t say anything unnecessary to Michael. So, the path that could have been easy became difficult and circuitous.”
“I think appealing with pure love was better than going down the kidnapping, confinement, and angst route.”
“Me too. Anyway, that’s why Duke Yeldidus’s territory was the most interesting.”
What a shame. It felt like the perfect timing for a kiss. But since we weren’t alone, I couldn’t kiss him. Remembering what I learned yesterday, I behaved myself.
Gazing at Hugh’s smiling profile, I resumed eating when he asked why I was staring at his face instead of eating.