"Lunch?" Stelle's brows shot up.
Could the pork have been tainted? But why was she unaffected—no, a Trailblazer's constitution couldn't be compared with this world's natives.
"Hold on, Mona. I'll fetch some cold water." Stelle shook her head, about to stand.
Mona, however, caught her arm in a grip of startling strength.
It was surprisingly strong.
Inside the small tent, soft gasps could be heard all night; step in and you'd catch a rich fragrance and behold a beautiful scene.
Unfortunately, no one would enjoy the sight.
Mona's tent was made of some fabric that muffled sound so well that from outside nothing could be heard.
Within, the cramped space was used to the fullest.
Though tight, most movements were still possible for Stelle.
Besides, as a Trailblazer her physique was superb; difficult poses were nothing to her.
And Mona's body proved unexpectedly supple, keeping Stelle entranced.
Yet however fierce the battle, it must end sometime.
"Ha…" Stelle lay back with a satisfied sigh.
Staring blankly at the tent roof, she felt a swirl of conflicting emotions.
In the end it had happened; there had been no escaping it.
In truth, part of her had wanted it all along.
She increasingly felt she was merely using her constitution as an excuse; she simply liked girls who stirred her heart.
Otherwise she could have explained her condition early on, kept her distance, and spared them any accidental intimacy.
So why hadn't she?
Had she forgotten, or had she subconsciously ignored the option…? "Sigh." She exhaled softly and glanced down.
Mona was fast asleep in her arms, head pillowed on her small breast as if it were a cushion.
It felt odd, but in her post-clarity state it hardly mattered.
Besides, she lacked the strength to rearrange Mona now.
And Mona's bare skin felt far better to touch than her odd outfit ever had.
Truly, as a Hydro Vision bearer Mona had soaked the tent beyond salvation.
Then there was her outfit.
It slipped off with the lightest tug, thin as air; Stelle wondered how Mona dared wear it.
In the end it had served her well—no, she shouldn't think such things.
Her hand stilled, then slid from Mona's smooth back.
She had foreseen this outcome, just not in this exact form.
Mona had acted as if drugged with an aphrodisiac; only as dawn crept in had she finally calmed.
It couldn't be blamed solely on her constitution—past experiences had never driven girls this far.
Mona had mentioned feeling strange after eating the wild boar meat, and Stelle recalled the sly boar from that morning.
The pig had indeed been odd: smaller than the rest, uncannily agile, able to dodge her strikes.
Its escape route had also been strange—why charge toward a cliff where people stood?
Even if the boar couldn't see the drop-off, it should have spotted Mona ahead and chosen an empty path.
Could all of that have been coincidence?
Hmm… Stelle shifted Mona's bottom upward to relieve the pressure on her chest.
"Mm." Mona's brows knitted slightly, but exhausted sleep kept her under.
Whatever the case, the boar meat was definitely suspect; whether her cooking had altered it or the meat had been tainted from the start remained to be seen.
To find out, she would have to run some tests today.
---
In the morning, harsh sunlight streamed into the poorly-shaded tent, filling the entire space with warmth.
Mona slowly opened her eyes, still looking a little dazed, as though she hadn't yet figured out what was going on.
"Where am I…" Mona sat up and glanced around in confusion.
It was definitely her tent—though it was a bit messy inside, and a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance lingered in the air.
She lowered her head and looked at herself.
A coat was draped over her body; aside from that, she had nothing on.
But the coat wasn't hers—it was an outer jacket, and the scent in the air seemed to be coming from it.
"Wait!" Mona's eyes flew open as the memories came flooding back.
Everything that had happened last night—she remembered it all.
A deep blush spread across her face; she quickly lay back down and wrapped the coat tightly around herself.
The garment smelled wonderful and felt comforting against her skin, almost as if Stelle were hugging her—the sensation was much like last night… "Ugh!" Mona hastily shook her head, pushing the strange images from her mind.
"H-how did this happen?"
Yesterday, she had actually been the one to take the initiative—she'd taken Stelle's hand… It was too bizarre, nothing like her usual self.
While Mona lay there blushing and lost in thought, Stelle pulled the tent flap aside and stepped in.
"Mona, you're awake." Stelle looked at the curled-up Mona, then down at her bare legs peeking out.
Clearly she'd only just woken up and hadn't had time to dress yet.
"Um…" Stelle scratched her head; although this wasn't the first time, she still felt a bit awkward.
After all, it was this kind of situation, and she had to explain her relationships with others and the peculiarities of her constitution.
Awkward or not, what needed saying still had to be said.
What had happened couldn't be undone; you couldn't just pull up your skirt and pretend nothing occurred.
With that thought, Stelle sat down beside Mona and pulled the tent flap closed.
"W-what are you doing?!" Mona noticed Stelle closing the tent, unsure whether to feel wary or expectant, and began to panic a little.
If Stelle wanted another round, she probably wouldn't refuse…
B-but they had work today, how could they… "Don't worry, I'm just closing it; there's a draft outside."
Stelle's words calmed Mona's heart.
They were still in the afterglow anyway; Stelle wasn't that insatiable.
Mona breathed a quiet sigh of relief, though a tiny pang of disappointment surfaced as well.
"Feeling better?" Stelle asked gently.
"M-much better." Mona lay on her side, too embarrassed to turn and face Stelle.
She knew what Stelle meant; her behavior last night had been far too strange, as if she'd taken some aphrodisiac… Wait—did that mean the wild-boar meat really had been tainted?!
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