Chapter 8: A Strange Request and a Midnight Snack

By the time Evrys and Iris reached the mansion, the sun had set, and darkness had fallen.

Only the soft moonlight illuminated their path.

Upon entering, Evrys was immediately whisked away by the maids to be washed and then guided to the dining hall, its entrance marked by a heavy, roughly carved door.

A servant opened the door, revealing a vast, hall-like space.

Evrys thought it was extravagant to have such a large space just for meals, but she kept the thought to herself.

It was simply the norm here.

Someone was already waiting for her. Iris sat at the table, her expression unusually somber.

Bathed in the light, Iris seemed particularly melancholic today.

During the day’s hustle and bustle, Evrys hadn’t had time to notice, but now, in this quiet moment, Iris’s change was apparent.

As far as Evrys knew, Iris was always stoic, almost never described as looking sad.

Seeing her like this made Evrys uneasy. She felt a strange sensation.

The feeling of being inside a game was fading.

It felt like she was living in reality, not a game.

Even though she hadn’t chosen any options.

And Iris, different from how she was portrayed in the game, felt… out of place, even without the protagonist around.

‘If things change from what I know, will everything become distorted, and I’ll be stuck here?’

She didn’t want that.

‘What’s bothering Iris so much?’ Unable to discern her thoughts, Evrys felt frustrated.

She had been viewing herself and this world as separate, thinking of herself as a traveler.

A traveler, a temporary presence in this game world.

‘Where will I end up if the game goes off track?’

The unanswered, meaningless question lingered in her mind.

Deciding she couldn’t leave things as they were, Evrys felt the need to resolve Iris’s worries.

She sat across from Iris.

Before either of them could speak, food began to arrive.

Although not hungry, Evrys couldn’t resist the warm, savory aroma of the soup.

Thinking ‘even a journey across the Diamond Mountains starts after a meal,’ she decided to eat.

The food, surprisingly, suited her modern palate.

As she devoured dish after dish, she finally came to her senses while stuffing a suspiciously thick steak into her mouth.

‘Why am I so obsessed with food? Was I always like this?’

Watching Evrys diligently clean her plate, Iris dismissed the servants.

“Evrys.”

“Huh? Oh?”

“…Let’s talk after you’ve finished eating.”

“No, I’m done.”

Evrys, her gaze fixed on her plate, didn’t see Iris’s expression.

After finishing the last bite, Evrys finally met Iris’s eyes.

She scratched her head awkwardly.

Iris, after watching her for a moment, seemed to have made up her mind and spoke.

“Could I ask you a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Yes.”

‘I was just wondering what was wrong. I guess half the battle is just showing up?’

Though that wasn’t the case at all, Evrys, recalling the saying, replied to Iris’s request.

“If it’s something I can do.”

“Without even hearing what it is?”

“…You wouldn’t ask me to do anything that would harm me, right?”

Iris fell silent, and Evrys thought she had given a good answer.

She wasn’t wrong, but that wasn’t what Iris was thinking.

Iris was lost in thought.

Her eyes seemed to swirl with complex emotions.

Oblivious, Evrys simply stared at her.

Finally, Iris spoke, and Evrys listened intently.

“Could you… let me touch your body?”

“Huh?”

Evrys’s strange exclamation echoed in the empty hall.

“You don’t have to undress…”

“But I need to touch your skin to see what’s different, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Then it’s better to undress.”

“If you insist.”

I was alone with Iris in her room, having dismissed the servants.

Contrary to my expectations, Iris’s room wasn’t that different from mine.

Some weapons on display and bookshelves filled with books?

It was a somewhat stifling space, as if declaring her hobbies to be swordsmanship and academics.

…I tried to distract myself with such trivial thoughts to maintain my sanity, but there wasn’t much in the room to focus on.

‘How did this happen?’

Was it because I had rashly agreed to anything, hoping it would help Iris and return things to normal?

‘But it’s not a strange request, is it?’

She had asked with a serious look, wanting to know what was different, referencing the incident this morning… it wasn’t like she was trying to… take advantage of me… right?

Anyone who thought otherwise was the weird one. And it was girl-on-girl, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about, right?

This was just… a necessary step for sword training… right? ‘Ugh, I wouldn’t know, I’ve never trained with a sword.’

‘Calm down. Calm down. I’m not the one touching her, so there’s no need to be embarrassed.’

‘So, she figured it out. Well, I didn’t try to hide it, so it was bound to happen. I should have buried the dummy.’

Still, I obediently undressed and turned my back to Iris, sitting on the bed with my legs outstretched.

The clothes were easy to remove, so it didn’t take long.

Being undressed in front of others wasn’t new, but it had always been for practical reasons.

I had always remained indifferent. But now, knowing that my body was the focus for… whatever reason… felt strange.

‘Well, it’s not my body, but I’m the one controlling it, so…’

‘This makes it sound like I’m doing something wrong… but Iris is the one doing the touching.’

‘This is just… to help Iris with her problem.’

‘There’s nothing weird about it, so there’s no need to be embarrassed.’

I kept repeating this to myself.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“I-It’s cold, so let’s just get this over with.”

“…Alright.”

‘Did I say something weird?’

I felt a warm hand on my neck.

Iris’s relatively large hand traced a line from the base of my jaw down to my nape, then to my shoulders.

“Hmm… Just smooth.”

“Y-Yeah, I guess.”

Her hands lingered on my shoulders for a moment before moving down my arms.

Her touch, slowly trailing from my shoulders to my elbows and wrists, felt increasingly warm.

“Your arms are the same.”

“…”

“I’ll continue.”

Her hands moved up to my shoulder blades.

Her calloused thumb traced the line of my spine.

Reaching the base of my spine, her hands began to explore my back and sides.

Even to my inexperienced eyes, there was nothing sexual about her movements, but I still felt a shiver run down my spine.

“You have a slender waist, but… nothing unusual.”

“R-Right.”

Her hands moved from my sides to my stomach.

“Considering how much you ate… it’s unbelievable.”

“…”

‘Is she criticizing my appetite?’

“Moving on.”

To reach my thighs, Iris moved closer.

Due to the height difference, she didn’t get that close, but I could hear her breathing.

Calm, even breaths.

So… if I felt anything strange, I would be the weird one.

Her hands started at my thighs, slowly kneading, as if searching for muscles, then moved down to my knees and calves.

“Lastly.”

Her warm hands carefully examined each of my fingers, as if appraising them.

Then, I was finally allowed to get dressed.

“Thank you for indulging my… whim.”

“…I hope it was helpful.”

“…Perhaps.”

“Then that’s good. I-I’ll be going now.”

“…Rest well. Shall I escort you?”

“It’s okay. I’ve memorized the way.”

Unable to meet Iris’s eyes, I hurried out of the room.

I couldn’t focus on Iris’s change in behavior. I just hoped this would return things to normal.

Trying to cool my heated head, I headed back to my room.

Then, a sweet scent drifted to me.

Like a child following the Pied Piper, I followed the scent and arrived at the kitchen.