Chapter 28: A Midnight Confession

“Drink?”

It was late, almost midnight, when Lily surprisingly came to my room, inviting me to share a drink.

Nina was already asleep, and I was just about to drift off myself. After all, tomorrow I had to deal with those guys… No, tomorrow I needed to go to the Blue Lake Forest to gather herbs, so…

“Alright.”

I agreed.

I was well aware of Lily’s habits. Whenever she felt particularly downhearted or encountered something sorrowful, she would have a few drinks before bed.

Sometimes she drank alone, other times my mother would make an exception and join her. Though I was young then, I distinctly remembered this habit of Sister Lily’s, especially the lingering scent of alcohol on her afterwards.

In those moments, a drunken Lily would embrace me, a mere child, so tightly it almost suffocated me. I nearly drowned in the overwhelming scent of liquor and her fervent emotions.

Presumably, my mention of my own past had saddened her this time.

But was it truly acceptable to invite me, a ‘stranger,’ to drink? We had only known each other for a day. Moreover, shouldn’t she be attending to Mother? Was it alright for her to stay in such a wealthy household?

Still, none of that mattered. Since Lily had extended the invitation, I had to accept it—consider it a small token of apology for not having returned to their side.

Clink…

Our cups met, and we both downed the small glasses of liquor in one go.

“Ugh…! Cough! Cough!”

From the moment it touched my throat until it reached my stomach, my esophagus felt as if it were on fire. We weren’t drinking wine or fruit liqueur, but colorless, transparent hard liquor. The instant I swallowed, I choked.

Lily had once told me that only this kind of potent liquor was consumed in her homeland. Their drinking culture was entirely different from ours.

It was hard to imagine the terrifying state of their banquets. Did anyone truly enjoy such a formidable drink? Although, Lily certainly did.

However, I was not adept at drinking. As a child, I couldn’t partake, and after I began caring for Nina, I needed to remain constantly sober.

Therefore, no matter who invited me, I would always refuse, abstaining from even a drop. I simply wasn’t accustomed to the taste of alcohol.

“Are you alright? Was it too much to ask you to come out?”

“I’m fine…” I puffed out my chest, catching my breath, feigning nonchalance. In truth, my head was already spinning slightly. “This is… my first time drinking, so… I’m just a little unaccustomed to it.”

“So, it’s your first time?”

“Yes, after all, with Nina around, it’s just the two of us at home. If I were to get completely drunk, no one would be there to look after her.”

“I see, heheh~ What a dedicated father you are.”

Saying this, Lily poured me another cup.

The white porcelain cup was small enough to be held with just two fingers, yet drinking a full one was truly uncomfortable. In contrast, Lily’s expression barely changed.

“If you can’t drink it, don’t force yourself. But if you wish to, then continue. I’ll take care of you afterwards.”

“No, how could I trouble you?”

I reached out, about to pick up the cup, then retracted my hand. Perhaps it was better to stop here.

Noticing my hesitation, Lily smiled, then picked up her own cup and drained it once more.

As she brought the cup to her lips, tilting her head back to drink, the moonlight illuminated the delicate lines of her collarbone and the smooth, tender skin beneath it.

At this moment, Lily was not wearing her usual long dress, but a garment from her homeland called a kimono. Yet, unlike those I had seen before, she had left the collar wide open, allowing it to fall past her shoulders.

The expanse of her soft skin appeared even more pristine and flawless.

What a graceful figure she possessed! It was truly a feast for the eyes to behold. However, was this truly appropriate? For a ‘stranger’ like me to see such things… I should probably avert my gaze.

“Why… did Sister Lily invite me to drink?”

“Oh, that? I just wanted someone to keep me company, to pass the time. In this mansion, you’re the only one who can drink with me. The two attendants have duties to attend to.”

With that, she took another drink and sighed, seemingly feeling the onset of tipsiness.

“We’ve only just met. I can’t imagine what we could talk about, can I?”

“We can! Since we’ve both raised children, we can surely discuss that aspect.”

“Is that so…”

As expected, it was because I had brought up my own past.

“However, although I raised a child, he wasn’t my biological son, nor was he adopted. I was merely…”

Lily trailed off, shaking her head, and took another silent drink.

I understood what she wanted to say: not her biological child, not her adopted child, Lily was merely my… wet nurse.

The reason for our intimate relationship, aside from her care for me, was primarily that I had grown up drinking her milk as an infant.

Before Mother gave birth to her first child, I, a newborn, had been adopted. To feed me, Lily had volunteered, and through some unknown method, she had made herself lactate, thus becoming my wet nurse—or so both Mother and Lily had told me.

Therefore, in the sense of ‘nurturing,’ our relationship was unusually close.

Well… those were things of the past. To be drinking with such a beautiful woman, my former wet nurse, was, to be honest, a truly wondrous experience.

“I wonder, what is Zero doing now?”

“He’s still around, then…”

I spoke almost subconsciously—or perhaps deliberately—and Lily let out a small laugh.

“What else? Did you think he’d passed away?”

“No… I just saw you looking quite sad during the day, so I… I’m truly sorry.”

“It’s alright. I just miss him terribly. Sigh~ I wonder how that child is doing. He must be twenty now, perhaps he’s already settled down and started a family.”

“…He must be very healthy, I’m sure. Perhaps he misses you just as much and wishes to return to your side.”

I comforted Lily, and these were also my inner thoughts. However, circumstances prevented me from making that decision.

“Heheheh~ You’re being polite again… But thank you.”

Saying this, she drank another cup. In contrast, I hadn’t even touched my second glass.

Just a little more… I’ll drink a bit more, as an apology for making Lily sad.

***

The small drinking session continued for an unknown duration until Lily finally succumbed to the alcohol.

“It’s fine, I… I can still walk on my own…”

“Don’t push yourself. And stop moving around.”

At this moment, I was carrying Lily in a bridal embrace, walking towards her room.

I wanted to take her back to her room, but I didn’t know where she was sleeping tonight. I wandered aimlessly down the mansion’s corridor.

To my surprise, the fox demon, who had cultivated for hundreds of years, was now completely incapacitated by the strong liquor, lying defenselessly in my arms, whimpering softly and snuggling against my chest.

Truly… she was utterly defenseless. From this angle… even Nina’s chest didn’t possess such soft, unconstrained fullness.

…No, what am I thinking? This is my revered wet nurse, my benefactor who nurtured me. How could I harbor such thoughts!

Speaking of which, I wonder if Lily has passed her ‘lactation period.’ I remember when I was seven or eight, I was still…

No, I shouldn’t think about it. If I delve deeper, I’ll get lost in it. Besides, to be so old and still act like a baby, unwilling to be weaned or something, is too embarrassing…

“Zero…”

“!!”

Suddenly, she softly called out my name.

“Zero… where are you… Lily… Sister… I miss you so much…”

Her tone was almost a lament. Two streams of tears flowed down her cheeks, soaking my chest. It felt as though they were piercing my heart, causing me immense pain.

I truly wished I could transform back instantly and rush into Lily’s embrace. But I couldn’t, because…

Click.

“!?!”

I had just passed the door to my room, and ahead, Nina’s door opened.

Could it be… she woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom? If she saw me holding Lily like this, wouldn’t I… No! I can’t be discovered! People would die!

I swiftly opened my room door, rushed inside, and then gently closed the door. With my back against it, I listened to the sounds outside.

I faintly heard footsteps passing by and fading into the distance. It seemed I hadn’t been discovered. However, I couldn’t relax yet; what if she suddenly returned?

I immediately carried Lily to the bed, laid her down comfortably, then took out the ‘Prism.’ I pressed [330] and placed it in the door’s keyhole.

Some components of the ‘Prism’ extended from its back, entering the keyhole to modify the lock. Now, no one but me could open the door.

Relieved, I returned to Lily’s side and sat on the edge of the bed, watching her.

Lily was completely drunk, her collar and hem splayed open in an exaggerated fan shape, looking utterly defenseless.

I wondered how much of her consciousness remained. At this moment, whatever I might do to her, she probably wouldn’t notice, would she?

However, I absolutely could not entertain any lustful thoughts. Seeing her yearning for me, the tears falling onto me—how could I have such ideas? Rather, Lily, what were you thinking, to display yourself like this to a man you had just met!

A little… a little jealousy, envy, stirred within me. Envy for my current self, for Ken, this male persona.

…Never mind. I’ll just sleep on the floor tonight. The carpet here is clean; it should be quite comfortable.

“Zero…”

But as I was about to pick up a pillow, I heard Lily call out again.

Perhaps, it would be better if I stayed by her side as she slept, in my original form. But that was impossible; I couldn’t be discovered.

So…

Poof.

I released Ken’s appearance. Wearing a nightgown, I lay down beside Lily.

Indeed, I couldn’t bear to leave my sorrowful wet nurse unattended. When I was a child and cried, she and Mother would always embrace and comfort me. And now, when Nina cries, I embrace Nina.

So, even at the risk of being discovered, I wanted to offer her a little warmth. I wanted to respond to her longing.

“…!”

Seemingly sensing something close to her, Lily opened her eyes. She looked at me, blinked, then her eyelids slowly stretched open, unable to believe my presence.

“…Is it… a dream?” she murmured.

“…Mm.” I gently nodded.

“Is that so… it’s a dream, then…”

Whether she truly believed it or not, she extended her arms and embraced me tightly, just like in the past. Once again, I rested my head on that soft body that had once nourished me.

“Zero!”

She called out, and this time, she finally received a response:

“Sister Lily~”

Tonight, just for a little while, let me be selfish. Let me stay with… this closest person to me.