Chapter 13 : I’m Sleepy

“Huh? Tanya, let’s go together.”
“I said no.”
“Tanya, Tanyaaa.”
“…”
“Please? Pretty please? Can’t I…?”

Lucia whined like a child.

Because I’d refused her invitation to her home.

After hearing my story, she’d
Dismissed it as if it were nothing.

And invited me to her house.

I seriously questioned Lucia’s sanity.

Inviting someone who’d just tried to assault her into her home?
This went beyond naiveté.

“I want to help you.”

Even if I gave her the benefit of the doubt and assumed
It was just a casual invitation, the context and her tone suggested otherwise.

It sounded like she was offering me a place to stay until I figured things out.

I didn’t know how to react.

I felt cornered.

“…”

Tanya, Tanya. Was it my imagination, or was her voice getting closer?

As I hesitated,
Lucia leaned in.

Closer.
And closer.

Her hand, intertwined with mine, felt like a handcuff, a rope.
I couldn’t escape.

Her bright pink eyes filled my vision, and
I had to answer.

“Maybe… for a few days…”
“Yay!”
“…”

What was she so happy about?

She wasn’t the type to take pleasure in acts of charity.

What about me had caught her attention?

I felt sorry for Lucia.
Concerned and worried.

I knew how this would end.

In disaster.

Even if her kindness continued indefinitely,
My own ugliness wouldn’t allow the relationship to last.

This urge to drag down those who shone,
To resent those I admired, where did it even come from?

My chest tightened, and I smiled bitterly.

Lucia, staring at my face, smiled brightly.

…

Lucia’s home wasn’t what I’d expected.

I’d imagined a grand mansion on a sprawling estate.

A noble lady, waited on by numerous servants.

Or, if not a mansion, then a cozy family home.

Filled with the warmth and laughter of loving parents.

But reality was different.

The house felt cold and empty, devoid of servants or family. I couldn’t help but ask,

“Your parents…?”
“Oh, I live alone. I moved to the capital for the academy.”

I see.

As I processed this information,
Lucia tugged on my hand, urging me inside.

This persistent girl.
She hadn’t let go of my hand since we left the park.

Our palms, damp with sweat, felt strange. My hand was slightly numb from her grip, though it wasn’t particularly tight.

Just as I was about to berate myself for not pulling away,
Lucia showed me around.

“That’s my room. And that’s the bathroom.”

The house, just the right size for one person, was filled with a spring-like fragrance.

Lucia’s scent permeated every corner, and I consciously tried not to breathe too deeply.
It was intoxicating.

“Tanya, are you hungry?”
“Not really.”
“Let’s eat anyway. I’ll make something.”
“Okay.”
“Anything you want?”
“Not particularly…”
“Then I’ll make my specialty. Is that alright?”

I nodded.

Lucia put on an apron and went into the kitchen, pulling out various ingredients.

She looked like a newlywed wife.
Not that I was her spouse.

I spoke to Lucia as she prepared to cook.

“Could I… wash up?”
“Of course. I’ll get you some comfortable clothes.”

I wanted to wash away the feeling
Of her hand in mine,
Of our thighs touching on the park bench,
Of our arms and shoulders brushing against each other as we walked.

For some reason, my skin felt hot and flushed, as if I needed to douse myself in cold water.

As I undressed and showered,
My mind raced.

How did things end up like this? Why am I here? Why is she making me food? And why did I agree, and now I’m here, showering in her bathroom?

I was utterly bewildered.

This won’t do.

I made a plan to escape.

I’d been drawn in by Lucia’s kindness, but
I’d make an excuse and leave.

She was kind and wouldn’t force me to stay. If I insisted on leaving, she’d say, “That’s too bad, but I understand,” and let me go…

…

But my plan never materialized.

The smell of freshly baked bread and pasta overwhelmed me the moment I stepped out of the bathroom.

I stared at the neatly folded clothes Lucia had left for me, then,
Deciding it would be strange to put my dirty clothes back on, I changed into hers.

A sleeveless top and short shorts.

Comfortable, but… revealing.

“Tanya, come eat!”

But the aroma of the food Lucia had prepared was too tempting to worry about my attire.

My stomach growled in agreement.

I sat down like a starving woman and took a bite of the bread.

“How is it?”
“…”
“Is it okay?”
“Yes.”

It wasn’t just okay. It was restaurant-worthy.

Just like the cookies,
She was a surprisingly good cook.

I’ll just eat this and leave.

Revising my earlier plan,
I devoured the food.

…

Why does this keep happening?

I stared out the window at the sunset, painting the sky in shades of red.

I’d eaten both lunch and dinner at Lucia’s.

As I rubbed my full stomach,
Lucia giggled, seemingly satisfied.

Maybe she was a witch from a fairy tale,
Fattening up lost children to eat them.

I narrowed my eyes at her, arms crossed beneath my breasts, as if challenging her to reveal her true intentions.
She blushed and looked away.

…Why?

“Tanya.”
“Yes?”
“You’re… big…”
“Excuse me?”
“Even though you’re so thin…”

She hadn’t been specific, but
I knew what she meant.

It would be strange if I hadn’t noticed, with her staring so intently.

What was so fascinating about my body? We were both women. And if she was going to stare, hers wasn’t exactly small either.

“…”
“…”

The atmosphere shifted.
We stopped talking,
Just staring at each other’s chests.

The silence was unsettling.

I had a feeling things would get awkward if I didn’t break the silence.

I blurted out something random.

“They used to be bigger.”
“Huh?”
“I lost weight.”
“T-Tanya?”
“They… sagged. It’s weird.”
“…”

Lucia’s expression was one I’d never seen before.

She blinked rapidly, gasped, and then scanned me up and down with a strange look.

Finally, she spoke.

“A-are you… seducing me…?”
“Excuse me?”

…Seducing?

What was she talking about?

As I stared at her, speechless, Lucia sighed, as if she’d expected this.

“Sigh.”
“Did I do something wrong…?”
“It’s fine.”

What was fine? Why was she acting like this?

As we bickered, I felt a wave of drowsiness.

It was too early to sleep after just finishing dinner, but
I’d barely slept last night and was exhausted.

Lucia, noticing my fatigue, asked,

“Tanya, are you sleepy?”
“A little…”

And once I acknowledged the sleepiness, it became overwhelming.

“Do you want to sleep?”
“Yes…”

I mumbled, half-asleep. Lucia giggled.

She led me to her bedroom.

“Want to sleep first?”
“What about you…?”
“I have something to do. I’m not sleepy yet.”
“Okay.”

There was a problem.
Only one bed.

Of course. She lived alone.

Even I, shameless and inconsiderate as I was, couldn’t steal the host’s bed.

There didn’t seem to be any extra blankets either. As I looked around, about to lie down on the floor, Lucia tilted her head.

“What’s wrong? You said you were sleepy.”
“I am. But there’s only one…”
“Oh. Well, it’s fine. Just sleep on the bed.”

Then where will you sleep?

Before I could ask,
She pushed me onto the bed.

She tucked me in, her touch gentle.

I shouldn’t be imposing. I shouldn’t be getting involved like this. I should have gone home.

These thoughts vanished like bubbles as sleep claimed me.

…
…
…

The next morning.

I woke up in a panic.

Lucia was lying next to me, sound asleep.