Elf Chapter 23: The Female Knight’s Game of Make-Believe

 

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「Haa~~~…」

Aisha released a grand sigh with eyes like a dead mermaid.
Her duty was over. She was walking trudgingly through the spacious hallway.
She exchanged greetings with the passing by soldiers and court servants enroute but above that was continuously thinking.
Naturally, it was about Keith.
A few days back, she ended up exchanging an unthinkable promise.
A few days back, she ended up exposing an unthinkable foolishness.
Those thoughts dominated both parties’ thinking and other things ended up being neglected.
Keith exchanged a promise of「be honest and feel good」.
That was, in other words, accepting Keith on her own, it was declared that that foolishness must be performed with natural circumstances.
Smiling, she spread her thighs, she begged, she held it in her mouth on her own, and then even kissing…
If she didn’t do that, she could probably say「This is the usual me!」while wondering what attitude she should take.¹
However, even if it’s once, she ended up showing that form that was a more「honest」state than ever, it ended up becoming that.
That was Keith’s aim but of course Aisha didn’t notice.
As for Aisha, who didn’t know what type of methods a real secret pair of lovers use, had a form of an obscene woman more than anything.
While smiling at men, she was under the impression that feeling better on your own is a deed that must not be done.
She wanted the act between a man and a woman to be clean and pretty. As one would expect from someone who protected their virginity for 53 years, that was all she thought about.
Of course, sexual desire wasn’t something that was talked about with her.
Or to say, she had too much curiosity.
But, Aisha had a slightly ecchi novel for women, inside there would always be an ikeman tenderly inserting into the heroine.
Also the woman would say「Do it more」and there was no depiction of licking a guy’s thing on her own.
Aisha had such a womanly part inside of her.
When she was under the impression that she was made to act strangely by medicine she exposed her true character.
Her womanly actions that was quite aways apart from this world’s pretty story.
She didn’t want to be conscious of it. She thought that she didn’t need to know.
She writhed from recalling it and it made her want to die.
Even so, she kept holding out, because she thought everything would be over if she endured it one more time.
If she slept with Keith one more time, he told her that he would hand the crystal over to her.
It is probably a lie.
He probably won’t hand it over.
But there was a merit to betting on him doing so.
It should be way better than the current state of affairs.
She had such resolution but several seconds after she shows off her foolishness by herself once again…the routine work that she was thinking about wouldn’t end.

「That crystal…if it comes into my possession…I will definitely kill him」

She grasps the rapier’s handle tightly while saying so.
However, at any rate, today she returned to her room to try and rest.
She probably won’t be able to sleep but she just needs to relax her body.
While she was thinking that, she raised her head in the hallway in front of her room and Aisha,「Hii!」, screams.
While smiling with a friendly grin, Keith was waving his hand in front of Aisha’s room.
Aisha’s face became ghastly white as she rushed over in a panic.

「Wh-!…What are you doing!!」

She whispered to him with a low voice while looking at the surroundings.

「What, you say? I will have you fulfill your promise」
「If that’s the case say so a few days in advance! Are you just some guy that shows up suddenly?!!」
「Eh~~~~ Since when did this become a reservation system? Aisha’s puss-」

Saying up to here, Keith’s mouth was blocked.

「StupidStupidStupid!!! Your voice is too loud!!」

Checking to see if there was sounds of patrolling soldiers’ footsteps coming from the passageway or not, Aisha desperately listened but she couldn’t hear over the sound of his overly annoying heartbeat.

「F-for now, let’s enter the room!!」

Saying so, she pushed Keith into her room but the next instant she grew pale at the thought that she invited a man to enter her room on her own.
When she looks at Keith, he was looking around the room restlessly while breathing deeply with all his strength.

「It smells like Aisha-sama, huh.」

Why are you smiling.

「So stop smelling like a moron!!」

Being surprised by the loud voice that she let out, she shut up.

「That sound muffling magic tool! You probably brought it, right! Turn it on!!」

She showed of her handy technique of yelling with a quiet voice.
While saying「Yes, yes」, Keith took out the magic tool from his pocket and turned it on.
And then when Aisha immediately felt relieved,

「N!! Nn…Fuuh! Chu…」

Keith embraced Aisha and stole her lips.

「Chu…Chuchuu, Nchu…Nha! Stop!!!」

Aisha pushed Keith’s body back.
While wiping her lips off with her hand, she glares at Keith.

「W-what are you doing so suddenly!!」
「Eh? Since I turned on the magic device like you said, I thought we were already starting…was I wrong?」
「Isn’t it obvious that you’re wrong?! What else would it be for but to keep our voices from being let out?! Is that the only thing that is in your head?!」
「What, is that how it is…then, what did you want to talk about?」
「Ah…that, wh-why did you come to my room?! If you have some business with me, then your room should be fine, right?!」
「No, that is…」

Keith spoke ambiguously.
The truth is, when he told Ruu he was thinking he wanted to call out to Aisha and wanted to use her room,

「Won’t you leave already, nya. Isn’t it fine to use the other person’s room?!」
「This useless cat. Is that any way for a familiar to talk to it’s master?!」
「…If you try to forcefully drive me out of this room, nya, then I…」
「What. What will you do?」
「I will do something incredibly crude, nya!!」
「Wh-what did you say, eh~~~~!!!!」
「I will make you stink and you won’t be able to get such a mood started!!」
「Hey, stupid, stop! Do it in the sand, the sand!」

He had that argument with his cat but it was too embarrassing to say, so

「I wanted to try coming to Aisha-sama’s room」

He lied. In order to not give her time to retort,

「Now then…have you made preparations to become honest?」

Cutting her off, Aisha hid her face.
Becoming honest…by myself…for Keith…
Smiling and looking at the form of Aisha that looks like she will end up crumbling down any moment now, Keith took out a magic tool from his pocket.

「Aisha-sama, here」

Aisha raised her head. She knit her brows as if she didn’t understand something.

「It is the promised crystal device used to record」

At these words, Aisha’s face hardened in surprise.
This is it?
This is the main culprit for her’s and Naia’s sorrow.
Thinking so, she nearly ends up cutting Keith’s arm off immediately with her rapier but Keith, who realized that,

「Ah, since this has transfer magic attached, if you try to harm me or try to forcefully steal from me, this will be transferred to an appropriate place. Don’t underestimate me」
「Guu!!」

Aisha grinds her teeth while she separates her hand from the rapier’s handle.
Keith breathed a sigh of relief.
It did have transfer magic attached to it but the forwarding address is his own room. In other words, he creeped by.

「Then, what will you do? Will you be honest for me just as promised? Or will you give up?」

Not doing it.
She has to do it. In order to get that crystal.
For Naia’s sake, and also for her sake.
But…she recalls what she was like a few days ago.
That form, that voice, those actions.
She can’t do it. She can’t do it no matter what.
Aisha’s face darkens with her self-contradictory thoughts.
Keith smiled at her expression that showed her real thoughts playing out just as he expected.
Aisha’s agony and then today’s embarrassing form, Keith wanted to see it.
He prepared for today’s scenario.
After Keith inhaled one breath,

「It seems…impossible」

Saying so, the magic tool was put back into Keith’s pocket again.

「Ah!」

Aisha tried to stop that hand, but,

「Can you do it?」
「…」
「Aisha is selfish for wanting it even though she can’t do it」
「Ku…」

After Keith forced an opening up to her,

「Then…I will do something slightly special for you」
「Eh?」

Aisha’s face rose.

「From now on, won’t you play pretend till morning?」
「Play…pretend?」
「Yeah, you and me together」

Around the time when Naia was much smaller than today, they would frequently play pretend together.
They tried to be grown-ups.

「…I don’t understand what you mean」
「You understand. If you play pretend with me till morning, I will give you this magic tool」
「Nah!!? Is that…true?」
「It’s true」

There is no reason for such a simple story.
Aisha frantically thought about it. And then,

「At any rate, you are probably going to say things like you want me to become a dirty woman or you want me to become your slave! In that case」
「I won’t say such things. I absolutely won’t tell you to do anything sexual」
「I-it’s a lie!!」
「I swear」

Keith raised his hand with a serious face and sweared.
While Aisha looked at that scene,

「Th-then, what will we pretend to be?」

While Keith was smiling at those words,

「We will pretend to be lovers」

Aisha’s face hardened. And then while shaking slightly,

「Don’t make fun of me!! Why would I have to pretend to be something like b-b-boyfriend and girlfriend with someone like you!!」
「Well, if it’s impossible, that’s fine. I will go back home」

Simply saying so, Keith tried to leave the room.
「Ah」, she restrained that retreating figure.
Aisha’s thoughts went round and round in her head.
Will there be another chance to obtain this magic tool?
Do I have to live in fear for my whole life from a recording magic device that has Naia’s foolishness on it?
That is unpleasant. Such a thing is no good.
But, by all means it is impossible to accept my recent self without a mask on.
If that’s the case…it should be fine to pretend until the morning. Just that much should be fine.
Also if we are lovers then even if he asks me to say or do something weird, I should be able to refuse.
After all, that is the type of relationship lovers are supposed to have.
With such resolution,

「…If someone starts talking about it」
「Such idle gossip of Aisha and me being lovers, who would believe such a thing?」
「…It is just till morning, okay?」
「Yes!」

Keith nodded happily. Then,

「Then, for starters, that dress from a while ago, please wear that」
「Why?!!」
「Well, because it’s cute」
「Like I said, why?!!」
「In order to get your lover to call you cute, isn’t it something you would usually wear for them? Since it’s a date after all.」
「Guu…!!」

Honestly, I wanted to refuse but, I don’t want him to consider me using my right to veto with him saying,「What, will you not do anything for me?」

「Wait just a moment!!」

Shouting that, Aisha took out the dress from inside the closet and went towards the bathroom.
As Keith sat on the bed and waited, Aisha, that had just changed, came out.
He gazed at that figure with satisfaction.

「As I thought, you’re cute」
「shut up…」

She said so and towards the Aisha standing with a discouraged expression, Keith,

「Please sit on the side here」

At Keith’s urging, she sat down on her own bed.
While being bored and restless,

「Such things like lovers…in the end you probably just want to do that…if that’s the case.」
「I will say it many times over but, when I also receive magic power, I hate receiving it from a crying and hateful Aisha. But, I also hate raising Aisha-sama’s sense of being deceived. If that’s the case, I thought it would be good to find a solution by trying to pretend from the beginning. What do you think?」
「I don’t know!」
「I thought it up with great effort but…well, for now let’s try doing it once」

When Keith said so, he took out a small box from his pocket and handed it to Aisha.

「What…is this?」
「It is a present to my sweetheart」
「Present?」

Aisha slowly opened up that box.
Inside was a small mythril ring.
The exterior has a carving that resembles an ivy from a plant.

「I made that. Did it turn out alright?」

He didn’t says it was made with the remaining mythril that he received.
It was suddenly handed over and the bewildered Aisha,

「Fun! At any rate, it probably has some curse put on it that makes me get a lewd feeling」
「There is no way. Look」

Saying so, Keith put the ring on Aisha’s right hand ring finger.

「How is it?」
「I-…it’s normal」

Not knowing if what she said was good, Keith looked on with a friendly smile to Aisha, who said such incomprehensible things.
Aisha was staring at her own right hand.
This is the first time she has received a ring from a man ever since birth.
No, the many times she received gifts she turned them all down.
However, now she is receiving a present while pretending to be lovers. She can’t refuse.
And then the ring that was placed on her finger made her chest strangely noisy.
Aisha didn’t understand the meaning behind the noisiness in her chest.
That’s why her attitude ended up becoming violently blunt.

「What! Why are you staring at me!」
「Since Aisha is cute my eyes were stuck on you」
「Wha-…a…Idiot!!」
「Eh? Why?」
「Wh-wh-what do you mean by talking without honorifics!!」
「Ah, this? I mean, after all, don’t boyfriends and girlfriends not use them? Or are you the type that gets fired up about how you call out to your lover?」
「Such a thing…there is no way」
「If that’s the case, then till morning you…can’t call me a bastard or sleazebag but instead will call me Keith」
「I also have to call out to you like that?!」
「When you call my name」

“Even if I were to die I wouldn’t call you that!” Aisha vowed in her heart.
That Keith was still continuously staring at Aisha.
The gaze started to feel ticklish to Aisha,

「Why are you constantly staring at me!」
「A present…usually if you receive one from your lover wouldn’t you show some sort of gratitude?」
「Gratitude…but didn’t you just hand it over on your own! I don’t need to show gratitude for such a thing」
「Guhah! It’s a shock!!」

Saying so, Keith threw his upper body down on top of the bed with a bam.
While glancing at Aisha,

「…If you won’t show gratitude, then I will sniff the bed’s smell」
「Stop idiot!! Moron!!!」

Aisha desperately tries to raise Keith off of the bed but Keith eagerly clinged on.

「Kun kun!! Kun kun kun!!² Ah~~~~ such a good smell…it’s making me erect」
「Stop!! Stoop!! I get it!! I’ll thank you!! I’ll do it so!!」
「In that case it’s fine」

Keith raised his body like one of those inflatable dolls.³ And then stared at Aisha while waiting,

「…Sorry. You have my thanks」
「So plain!! It’s a shock!!!」
「Heey!! Don’t flop onto the bed!! Don’t sniff the smeeell!!」
「Then, just a bit more…」
「How should I do it?!! Say it properly!!」

As if he was waiting for those words, Keith wore a complacent smile.

「…If you talk about how lovers thank each other…isn’t it with a kiss?」
「Nna!!」

Aisha was at a loss for words.
She rigidly stared at Keith,

「Since earlier it seems you have only been doing things for your own convenience so it’s fine!!」
「Eh~~~ there is no such meaning. To get the feeling of thanks, I want a kiss from Aisha. Also there is a meaning behind it」
「I don’t know!! I can’t do it!!」
「Shoh…!」
「Don’t fall onto the beeedd!!!」

Squeezing Keith’s arm, Aisha desperately pulls trying to keep him from falling on the bed.
The balance of power between these two’s tug of war was destroyed and the two fell on top of the bed laying on top of each other.
Keith below, Aisha on top.
Aisha’s silver hair gently swayed on Keith’s face. It was ticklish.
Keith’s hand stretched towards Aisha’s cheek. If she tried to avoid it, she could. In the first place, if she raised her body it would be fine.
And yet, Aisha’s body wouldn’t move from on top of Keith like it was solidified.
While touching Aisha’s tanned soft cheek,

「…Please kiss me…If you do I won’t ask again」
「…Promise?」
「It’s a promise」

At those words, Aisha slowly lowered her face.
In the middle of doing so, perhaps she had noticed earlier that being「pretend lovers」 was more dangerous than she thought,

「N…」
「Chuu…」

Closing their eyes, the two pile their lips on top of each other’s.

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