Mara woke up to sunlight coming through her window and the sudden realization that her whole body hurt in ways it hadn't in years.
Or maybe...forever.
She lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, as her mind slowly put together what had happened the night before. Initially, the memories appeared in fragments.
Then they came in vivid, overwhelming detail that made her face burn even though she was alone.
Ten rounds.
They had sex for ten full rounds, and she didn't remember what had happened to her.
She whispered to the empty room, "What was I thinking?" But the traitorous warmth spreading through her chest made it clear that she knew exactly what she had been thinking. Or, more accurately, not thinking at all.
Mara then realizes that Garrett isn't home yet. "I knew it... whenever he fishes at night, he'll probably camp there."
She made herself sit up, even though her muscles hurt in places she had forgotten they were sore. Her nightgown was wrinkled on the floor where she had thrown it hours before, along with any pretense of being a faithful wife.
It hit her hard and fast with the guilt that Garrett, her spouse. The man who had loved her for twelve years, built a life with her, and was probably coming back from fishing right now with no idea that everything had changed.
Mara put her hands on her face to try to make sense of the mess in her head. This couldn't happen again.
It was a mistake, a moment of weakness, a lapse in judgment brought on by being alone and worn out, where a young man had looked at her like she was something special.
Only once. That was all it could be.
She had to wash up, scrub away the proof, and act like this was a dream that would be over by the afternoon.
Mara took a clean dress and went to the small bathroom next to her bedroom. The water in the basin was cold, which was just what she needed to get her body back to normal.
She took off her clothes and started washing them without thinking about the marks on her skin. There were small bruises on her hips where hands had held on too tightly.
She could still feel the slight redness on her neck where Rex's lips had made patterns. "It's worse than I thought, huh?"
She told herself firmly, "Stop it," and scrubbed harder. "It was a mistake, and it's already been done."
"Get over it."
By the time she was done washing and dressing, she had almost talked herself into thinking she could handle this. She would go downstairs, make breakfast like she always did, say hello to Garrett when he got home, and act like nothing had happened the night before.
Rex would get that it was a one-time thing that happened because of circumstances that would not happen again. She felt a little more in control when she left the bathroom and went downstairs to get breakfast ready.
The tavern was calm and quiet, just like it should be in the morning. Mara went about her normal tasks, finding comfort in the familiar tasks of starting the fire, getting out the ingredients, and kneading the dough.
This was normal, and it was okay because she could finally go back to this normal life.
She was so focused on her work that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until arms wrapped around her waist and a voice she knew whispered in her ear.
"Good morning, Mara~"
Before her self-defense training kicked in, Mara's whole body went stiff. She turned, planted her foot firmly, and exerted enough force to cause Rex to stumble back a few steps.
"What are you doing!?" She hissed, her voice low and sharp even though the tavern was empty.
Rex got his balance back and looked more surprised than hurt. "I was just saying good morning."
"N-No!" Mara pointed at him, and her hand shook a little. "Don't do that."
"Please don't pretend we're something we're not."
"I just wanted to, Mara..."
"No. Not a chance!" She cut him off, and even though her heart was racing, her voice was strong. "Rex, last night was a mistake. And I will make sure that can't happen again!"
Rex's face went from surprised to something harder to read. Maybe disappointment. Or calculation. "A mistake, you say?"
"Yes." Mara turned back to her dough because she needed something to do with her hands. "I'm married, and you are employed here..."
"Last night was wrong, and that's the end of it! I don't want to have any affair again..."
"We talked about it, remember? It's only a one-time thing, and we made the deal!"
Rex said softly, "I remember."
"I just thought you might have changed your mind."
"I haven't..." Mara's voice was steady now, thanks to the memory of her vows. "Garrett will be home soon."
"We have to act like nothing happened. Can you do that?"
There was a long pause, and Mara could feel Rex's eyes on her back.
"Yeah, sure," he finally said. "I can do that."
"Okay...then please go do the things you need to do in the morning!"
"I need to finish breakfast."
She let out the breath she had been holding only after she heard him leave and his footsteps fade away toward the cellar. She had to blink back tears she couldn't quite explain as she went back to kneading the dough.
This was the right thing to do. And the only option that she had.
So why did it seem so wrong?
Rex went down to the basement with a clenched fist and a racing mind. "Fucking hell..."
[DESIRE LEVEL: 95/100]
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS: SEXUALLY INTIMATE BUT EMOTIONALLY CONFLICTED]
[WARNING: TARGET IS EXPERIENCING GUILT]
[WARNING: TARGET MAY ATTEMPT TO DISTANCE HERSELF]
[MISSION STATUS: INCOMPLETE]
[THRESHOLD NOT MET]
[TIME REMAINING: 12 HOURS]
"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Rex mumbled something to himself as he looked at the notification.
"95? After ten rounds of fucking?"
"What the hell does it take to get to one hundred?"
[DESIRE MEASURED BY EMOTIONAL DEPTH, NOT PHYSICAL ACTS]
[TARGET DESIRES YOU PHYSICALLY: 100/100]
[TARGET DESIRES YOU EMOTIONALLY: 90/100]
[OVERALL AVERAGE: 95/100]
[RECOMMENDATION: DEEPEN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION]
[OR FAIL AND DIE]
"Great," Rex said in a sarcastic tone. "Just fucking great."
"She kicks me out and says it was a mistake. Now I have twelve hours to make her emotionally attached, or I'm fucking cooked to death."
[CORRECT]
[PERHAPS YOU SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING]
[JUST A THOUGHT]
Rex wanted to punch something, ideally the sarcastic system that seemed to enjoy making him suffer. He had done everything right.
He had been patient, attentive, and manipulative in all the right ways. He had given Mara the best night of her likely dull married life.
And it still wasn't enough.
He needed five more points. And it's only five, but Mara had just made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him beyond their working relationship.
"Okay," Rex said, already thinking about what could happen. "I'll just have to wait for another chance if I can't get close to her with Garrett around."
"There's still time."
"And it seems like she isn't broken enough by me..."
He was thinking about his next move and how to get there when a loud noise from outside made him stop. "What's that...?"
"I heard voices, and there are a lot of them...!" Rex heard voices that sounded excited, like something strange was going on.
Rex went back up the cellar stairs and saw that Mara was already heading toward the front door, her curiosity outweighing her earlier discomfort. He followed her, stepping out into the morning sun right behind her.
There were more people in the town square than Rex had seen since he got there. Everyone was crowded around a group of new people, and Rex could tell right away what they were because of their shiny armor and expensive-looking gear.
Rex could see some adventurers. No, not just normal adventurers.
But it was something more than can be called the Hero, judging by their appearance, especially the young man who was standing in front like the main character in some fantasy world.
Rex said under his breath, "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me..."
"So this is the main character of this world...?"
The system answered right away.
[IT'S ONE OF THEM]
"One of them!? There's fucking more...?"
[YEA]
In the middle of the crowd was a young man who looked to be no older than 22 or 23. He had light purple hair that probably shone in the sun like it was in a shampoo commercial.
He wore polished silver armor that looked like it could feed the whole town for a month, and he had a smile that made Rex want to punch him right away.
"Good people of this town," the purple boy said in a voice that could be heard all over the square, "I am Elliot Von Starlight, hero of the realm, and I've come to help you in your time of need!"
"Of course you are," Rex said quietly.
"His fucking name is Starlight, and he's one of the heroes in this world."
"How fucking brilliant."