113. The Great Forest (4)
Even when I tried not to breathe through my nose, the smell of grass was so thick it felt like I might suffocate. The overwhelming mana inside my body had resolved the discomfort from the air, but this wasn’t something that could be fixed with mana.
I clung to the hope that maybe it was just a dream—that maybe there’d be a dish so packed with vegetables that it actually hid the scent of meat—but there was no such miracle. Over here, greens. Over there, more greens. Even when I looked away in disappointment, all I saw was more grass. It was so unbearable I shut my eyes tight.
This couldn’t be real. No, this shouldn’t be real.
Dogeon, perhaps trying to cheer me up, called out to me after spotting a certain dish.
“…Lady Hoyeon! Would you care to come see this? They say it’s plant-based meat, but it’s so convincing I couldn’t tell the difference!”
I appreciated the effort. At least by human standards, it seemed indistinguishable from real meat. Sadly, that didn’t apply to me.
The overpowering stench of greens, which no amount of seasoning or cooking could fully mask, still wafted off it. I was grateful for Dogeon’s effort, but it just wasn’t going to work. I shook my head quietly.
“…It may look like meat to you, but to me, it’s just more greens. Thank you for thinking of me. But I’ll either have to starve or find something else.”
Perhaps out of the elves’ last bit of decency, there were some tofu-like items or jelly-like foods available. At the very least, those were edible, so I figured I’d fill my stomach with them.
Sigh. Isn’t there anything resembling a meat dish around here? As soon as I thought that, a bit of mana leaked out of my body. Considering it never entered me even when I tried, I guess it’s not strange that it would leak out too.
As I trudged toward a table gloomily, an irresistibly alluring scent brushed past the tip of my nose.
Had there been a table like that? It was shoved way into a dark corner, with not a soul nearby, and barely any lighting—yet my nose still picked it up.
I mean, the scent of meat was that strong. There was no way I wouldn’t notice. It was strange, sure, but my feet were already moving toward it.
The table was barely big enough to hold a single plate, and even on that plate was just barely a human-sized portion of meat.
It wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy me, but… meat was meat. It was far better than nothing. Just the fact that I didn’t have to chew on grass and its assorted by-products filled me with joy.
“…Princess? I was wondering where you went, and here you are—what are you doing in a place like this? There’s nothing over here. You won’t get meat just by staring at a wall… huh?”
Dogeon must’ve thought I was just staring at a wall and came to fetch me—but when I actually came back with meat, he looked absolutely stunned.
“It’s not a wall. Can’t you see the table right there? From now on, try to eat more carrots or animal liver. They help with night vision, you know?”
Only after I kindly pointed out the direction with my finger did Dogeon finally manage to see the table.
“…That definitely wasn’t there before… What in the world…”
Just because he didn’t see it. Dogeon denied it, saying no such thing was there. To be honest, I had my doubts too… but I didn’t have the mental room to dwell on them.
The simple fact that meat existed was enough to make me happy.
“What are you standing around like an idiot for? Come on, let’s sit down. It’ll get cold.”
Well, it was already cold. But judging by the faint warmth beneath the plate, it was probably just at the point before cooling completely. I understood Dogeon was shocked, but I didn’t have time to humor him.
“Ah, right. But where did that even come from…? There weren’t any cloaking spell circuits or anything like that…”
Ugh, so many questions. I gave him a sharp look and smacked the back of his knee with my tail as if to say just follow me already. Only then did Dogeon stop hesitating and tag along.
What’s good is good, no? Dogeon might not agree, but I sure did.
Taste-wise, it didn’t compare to the food at the academy. But after being stuck in a place overflowing with greens, this actually felt delicious.
“…Is it good?”
“It’s delightful. Just the thought of having to gnaw on more leaves had me depressed. You should eat up too. Though I’m not sure that green stuff will do anything for your strength. But you’ll need your strength, won’t you?”
“Haha… Right.”
No matter how you looked at it, I doubted that grass stuff could fuel a human body. I should probably pack a few pills for him before things kick off again. They work instantly, though the rebound is a bit rough—but Dogeon should be fine.
More than anything, he needs his strength, right?
***
The moment I regained consciousness, I tried to sit up, but a strange weight and a wave of dizziness kept me down. I glanced out the window, trying to gauge the time—it was just before sunrise.
What was pressing down on my chest? Relying on the faint pre-dawn light, I looked and saw soft hair, mostly white with streaks of black.
Ah. Right. Hoyeon.
They’d said I might be a bit confused upon waking due to the aftereffects of the medicine—and this must’ve been it. She was lying across my chest, nuzzling against me in blissful sleep, completely bare.
Looks like she’d fallen asleep with her chest still pressed to mine. I nearly got aroused again, but the sharp pain stopped me and made me groan softly.
“Ugh… ah…”
Whether it was rotting or crushed, the pain felt like it would explode with just a touch. I couldn’t even speak, but thankfully, the urge subsided.
I forced my stiff limbs to move, but as soon as I did, she clung to me tighter, burrowing in even deeper like she didn’t want to let go. Her nails scratched at me, but that didn’t matter much.
Trying to get up, it felt like my lower back was about to snap. It was like shards of glass were embedded in my muscles, grinding as I moved.
Even though I had healed myself once with magic, the pain remained.
Still, the fact that I could move meant that Hoyeon must’ve shown me some mercy. I really thought I was going to die at first. My vision had gone dark, and every time she moved, it felt like my whole body was burning.
Compared to that, this was a lot better. Back then, too, I’d woken up before her, only to be paralyzed and pass out again.
I gently pulled her off me, laid her down on the bed, and went to the bathroom. Turning on the light to wash up, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror—and it wasn’t pretty.
Scratched here, bitten there, with dried fluids all over. I didn’t know if this place even had cleaning staff, but if they did, I pitied them.
If I looked like this, I didn’t even want to imagine the state of the bed. At least it was just the bed that got wrecked—there was some comfort in that.
I treated the minor injuries with magic and splashed cold water on my face to snap out of it. I still had no idea how they made a shower room in a tree, but I was in too much pain to wonder for long.
From what I could tell, the water was conjured with mana, and where the drainage led… who knew.
It hurt too much all over to care.
Even after I finished washing up, she was still fast asleep. But she might wake up and look for me, so maybe I should wait...
No. I’ll wake her up.
Up close, she looked truly beautiful. She wasn’t the most considerate of others, and her standards were abnormally high—but none of that mattered right now.
She smiled in her sleep, like she was dreaming something pleasant. I leaned in and whispered her name softly in her ear.
“Hoyeon…?”
As if tickled or as if to say don’t call me that, her ear twitched. Then she slowly stirred, blinking sleepily.
She stayed still for a while, like her mind hadn’t quite caught up, then eventually brushed her hair back and noticed me, smiling faintly.
“Haa…mm, you’re up… early? Mm, haaah…”
As she stretched, the blanket I’d pulled over her slipped off, revealing her bare body, and the sultry moan she let out made it feel like my lower half might snap again.
“Ugh… yeah. I woke up first… Are you okay…?”
Showing herself off like that—it was too much. But I had to hold it in. As much as I wanted to, my body couldn’t handle it.
“Me? Yeah… I feel great.”
So she really had gone easy on me. I was dying, and she was talking about feeling refreshed. It was clear now. Honestly, I was getting scared of the future.
I don’t know if it’s fair to say this about her, but isn’t this exactly what a succubus is? Irresistibly alluring, yet ruinous if you get involved.
She didn’t actually ruin me, and she had no intention to—but still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I were to die, it wouldn’t be of old age, but under her.
“Well… either way, you should probably get washed up. Just a heads-up, the warm water doesn’t really come out.”
“Got it~” She said, casually grabbing just her underwear and walking straight into the bathroom. I wasn’t really afraid of her anymore, but her stamina still scared me a little.
While she washed up, I changed the sheets and straightened the room up a bit. It helped me move around and clear my head too.
My upper body was relatively fine, aside from the claw marks. The real problem was below the waist—it felt completely wrecked. But I managed.
She’d left some ointment out for me to use if I was sore the next day, so I slathered it everywhere and drank some water. Not long after, she came out wearing just her underwear.
She naturally sat beside me and draped her tail across my thigh as a signal, but if we kept going, I’d definitely lose a whole day—so I gently stroked her tail while respectfully moving it aside.
“…Don’t want to?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. My body just can’t take it. By the way… did you take the medicine?”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot…”
Hoyeon. If you forget that, I don’t know what your father might do to me. Please be more careful.
She didn’t look satisfied, but I had only one idea for something we could do together right now, so I suggested it.
“…Hoyeon. Want to go for a walk?”