Gardenia’s Heart

With the exception of Nia, this was the first time Lily had formally received guests in her home.

“Please, come in... uh... don’t mind the mess.”

Her face flushed with embarrassment as Lily guided Cleomel and Abelia to sit around the small wooden table in the single room of her house.

“Lady Lily... is this your home?” Abelia’s hesitant and doubtful voice broke the silence.

In just one hour of hard work, Lily and Nia had managed to turn the once chaotic room into something presentable.

As she walked to get what she needed, Lily reflected that her decision to eliminate several of the bandits might have caused John and the rest of the group to flee the village in haste, avoiding the need to erase evidence. Consequently, the village’s houses had remained relatively intact.

Since she didn’t have enough chairs, Lily had ventured to the surrounding houses to fetch a few. When she returned, the dirty straw-covered floor and the remnants of their shared passion had been meticulously cleaned by the self-proclaimed “super-competent maid, Gardenia.” Her beloved, who for some reason had taken a strong liking to the frilly maid outfit, also mentioned replacing the door that the bandits had broken down.

“Yes, this is the village I mentioned before. I lived here for a while before that group of bandits attacked.” Sitting on one of the chairs, Lily clasped her hands and avoided eye contact several times before finally speaking.

Taking a deep breath and summoning the courage to meet the two women’s expectant gazes, Lily spoke firmly.

“I apologize for how I acted in the mines. My recklessness put all of us in danger, and because of me, we couldn’t save Alice.”

Lily lowered her head. She understood that while her intentions weren’t wrong, her actions had been. Her outburst of rage, paired with her lack of planning, had jeopardized everything. If not for Nia’s intervention, none of them would have survived.

Seconds of silence passed in the dimly lit room, the cold wind from the mist slipping through the cracks in the door.

“I can’t say I’m satisfied with the outcome,” Abelia finally spoke, prompting Lily to lift her head and meet her obsidian eyes with her blue one. “But I’m not in a position to question the reasons behind your choices, considering our entire relationship thus far has been built on secrets.”

Abelia turned to Cleomel, her knight, whose concerned gaze met hers. Cleomel still bore bandages around her stomach from the battle.

“Moreover, even though you isolated yourself to tend to your own wounds, Lady Lily, you provided healing potions for Cleomel and fresh food on several occasions. So, I can’t say it was entirely bad to wait.”

When Abelia finished, a composed smile gracing her face, Lily raised an eyebrow in confusion. Her mind raced to piece together what the noblewoman was referring to.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to think too hard, as the voice of her dependable wife echoed confidently in her mind.

(Even while Lily was unconscious, I could still control your body to some extent. So, I told them you needed to tend to some injuries and didn’t want to be disturbed. Besides, while working on a countermeasure for the stigma, I made sure to provide food for the two of them and keep monsters at bay.)

Releasing a joyful sigh at having such a thoughtful partner, Lily gently stroked the tentacle always coiled around her waist. The warmth of her touch sent waves of happiness through Nia’s mind, making her feel her efforts were truly appreciated.

(W-Wait, Lily, not now!)

Nia’s voice trembled in her mind, and Lily knew exactly why.

Carefully, Lily moved the dress to cover even more of her crotch, and lifting her thigh subtly, she adjusted the tentacle that was in her ass.

(Nhmm! N-No, Lily!) Nia’s excited voice sounded again.

Hearing Nia’s fighting words, Lily let out a smile and stroked the tentacle around her waist again.

“Don’t hold back~” Whispering as quietly as possible, Lily curved her lips into a soft smile as her face turned red.

Although they had taken care of all the issues concerning the mess in the bedroom, one last issue remained unresolved. Nia had climaxed so many times inside Lily that it was no exaggeration to say there were gallons of her viscous love juice inside her.

As it was always Nia, who could go back inside her body and hide, who was in this position, they had never had a problem with it until now. However, as she began to walk to clean the room a few moments earlier, Lily could feel the warm liquid in her anus oozing out.

Even wearing her dress, a small amount of it would still run down her legs, so both girls thought together of an improvised solution.

(Mhnnn... Lily... I’m coming-! Hyaah)

With Nia’s moan of pleasure exploding in her mind, the silver-haired girl could feel her insides heating up and her body trembling. Doing her best to keep her face composed, Lily crossed her trembling legs to prevent the two women in front of her from noticing her convulsing waist.

(Lily... So... so good... I love ya~)

The words of Nia, who had never achieved so many orgasms in one day, sounded slurred as if the pleasure in her brain had already overwhelmed her to the point where she could see butterflies in front of her.

As she felt Nia’s hot love juice spreading inside her even more, Lily noticed that perhaps trying to use her wife’s tentacle to keep the liquid contained might not have been the best option for the problem.

“I love you too. As long as you don’t make a mess, you can cum as much as you want, okay?” However, unable to suppress her own desire to keep Nia’s tentacle inside her body as long as possible, Lily had no intention of changing her strategy when she muttered such words.

As the purple tentacle squeezed even tighter against the walls of her anus and slapped against her belly with every movement, Lily could feel herself being caught in a river of pleasure. Keeping her face as flushed as usual, she interlaced her fingers on the table and looked at each of the women.

“Before I get to the point, I feel that if we want to resolve this, I can’t simply demand answers without offering something about myself in return. Is there anything you’d like to ask?”

Though hesitant, Lily understood that trust couldn’t be built by waiting for the other party to take the initiative. After a long discussion with Nia, the girls decided that, while there were certain topics they couldn’t reveal—like the dark mana or Nia’s existence as a metamorph—they could share some things with the two women if they wished to know.

Cleomel and Abelia exchanged glances for a few seconds. Their expressions made it clear that there were many things they wanted to ask, but both women knew that prying too much could only lead to trouble.

“Lady Lily...” Abelia spoke cautiously, taking the lead. Adjusting her posture in the chair, her fingers played with the tips of her jet-black hair as her eyes remained fixed on the girl before her. “The man we encountered, the lord of Caligo, Velmont Sunshard—you said he killed your father, didn’t you?”

The expected question reached her, and Lily took a single deep breath to calm herself. After her conversation with Nia, even though her past was painful, having her wife by her side gave her the strength to face it without faltering.

“Yes, it was about twelve years ago. That man... Velmont, invaded my village to kill and abduct its residents, including my father. He captured me and some villagers, imprisoning us in the mines of Caligo. A few years ago, I managed to escape at the moment I was about to be sold, and that’s how I ended up in this village.”

Though Lily’s tone was casual, the weight of her words sent chills through both women, their nerves tingling from the impact.

Neither responded immediately, taking a few moments to process what had been said.

“Is that how Lady Lily was able to find the way to the mines so quickly? Did you join us to take revenge on him?” Abelia clasped her hands tightly in her lap as if trying to suppress a wave of nervousness.

“I joined you because I truly wanted to help rescue your daughter, not out of a desire for revenge.” Lily shook her head slightly before continuing. “At first, I didn’t remember everything that had happened. I only had vague memories of being captured and escaping, but not of the location or who was responsible. It was only as we approached the mines that my memories began to return. And when I saw that man—alive and unpunished for everything he had done—I couldn’t contain the rage within me.”

Abelia listened intently without interrupting, but the same couldn’t be said for the other woman.

“Do you really expect us to believe that?” Cleomel scoffed, her chair scraping noisily as she adjusted it with a sharp movement. Crossing her arms, she furrowed her brows. “Isn’t it a little too convenient to suddenly remember everything and then throw the entire plan away once you didn’t need us to find their hideout anymore?”

The irritation and doubt in the knight’s words were evident, and Lily couldn’t blame her. After Nia, Cleomel had been the one most injured during the battle.

“Of course, I don’t expect you to believe me outright, but I ask you to listen to what I’ve uncovered.” Lily brought her index finger to her temple, her voice lowering. “On the day I was captured, it seems Velmont used magic on me that induced my brain to forget things I saw and heard related to him. I’ve managed to develop a spell to counteract this, which is why I’m no longer susceptible to it.”

“Could this be the same type of spell that was causing Alice to act so strangely?” Abelia’s foot began tapping against the floor in an erratic rhythm, her typically calm demeanor cracking as she started piecing together what might have been the reason for her daughter’s odd behavior.

(My assumption is that whatever is influencing the people in the mines is a variation of the spell he used on you and the others he planned to sell. Since mining requires precision and care, making the workers’ submission stronger would be more important than saving mana or effort on those selected for sale.)

With Nia’s explanation in her mind, Lily relayed the details to the two women.

“Wait, that’s impossible. If Velmont Sunshard had a spell like that, the Mage Tower or the royal family would have ordered his arrest long ago.” Cleomel’s expression grew even more strained as she spoke.

“What do you mean?” Lily asked.

“Forget about the amount of mana required to control over a hundred people for decades. A spell like this—one as powerful as those used during the war against the Demon King—wouldn’t have been developed alone, not even by a two-star mage. He would have had to learn it from someone.” Cleomel ran her fingers along the shaft of her lance a few times, her words hesitant. “The only place I can think of that holds instructions for such spells is the capital, where the ancient era’s magic is safeguarded by the Mage Tower.”

“But I remember you telling me that someone could become a three-star mage by mastering these ‘ancient era spells.’” Lily responded, still not understanding Cleomel’s point.

“That’s the issue. They carefully select which spells to teach someone. And even then, they’re so difficult to learn that mastering them takes decades. We’re talking about memory manipulation and controlling people. Even if this spell is in the Mage Tower’s records, there’s no way they could have taught him that and simply let him roam free. He would be a danger to the entire country!”

The knight’s tone was no longer one of disbelief toward Lily’s words but of deep concern for what it would mean if she was right.

“Cleomel... is there any other place he might have learned a spell like this?” The silver-haired girl asked.

Her wife—who had access to a source of knowledge from the ancient era called the Book of Truth and could develop spells by consuming monsters—was an exception. Lily understood from her encounters with various mages that creating spells was a complex task. If Velmont had learned this spell somewhere, they needed to find out where.

“I-I don’t know. As far as I know, most of the ancient era spells are here, on the continent of Anthus. If it was somewhere else, I don’t know if my knowledge would be helpful.” Cleomel stammered slightly before giving her most determined response.

Though still tense, Abelia, who had been watching the knight and the mage discuss the matter, formed a faint smile on her lips. She knew how much Cleomel loved magic and had never seen her so deeply engaged in such a significant discussion about spells before.

Clearing her throat a few times to draw the girls’ attention, Abelia turned to Cleomel and spoke in a gentle tone.

“I feel like we can figure out where he learned that spell later. Cleomel, wasn’t there something you wanted to ask Lady Lily?”

The moment her noble lady reminded her of something, Cleomel raised a hand to cover her open mouth.

“Well, if I may ask…” Her shoulders rose and fell slowly as she took a deep breath. Her amber eyes glimmered with curiosity, and her fingers traced invisible circles on the table. “How did Lady Lily bring us here?”

The silver-haired girl was caught off guard by the question. Among all the inquiries she expected from the knight, this was far from being one of her biggest concerns if revealed.

Lily didn’t fully understand how Nia’s teleportation portals worked. A vague answer wouldn’t suffice. Aware of this, her metamorph wife, ever dependable even in her current dazed state from too many orgasms, quickly instructed Lily on what to say to the women.

“Sorry for keeping this a secret.” Raising her right hand, a portal resembling a starry sky appeared above her palm. She reached through it effortlessly, and a few seconds later, she pulled out a spear. “I can create a spatial distortion between two points and construct a pathway between them. That’s how we escaped.”

Thanking her wife with another subtle caress of the tentacle coiled around her waist—which rewarded her with another wave of warmth in her stomach—Lily observed Abelia’s shocked expression and Cleomel’s euphoric face.

“This is teleportation! It’s ancient-era magic!” Ignoring the fact that her spear had been taken without resistance, Cleomel jumped onto the table to get a closer look at the portal. “How far can it go? What are the conditions? Is there a limit to how many people can cross? I heard only the elder of the Mage Tower can use this! Who taught Lady Lily? Are you their disciple? But it takes years to learn! How old are you?!”

Bombarded with Cleomel’s barrage of questions, Lily dropped the spear and pushed her chair back to create some distance.

“Of course, there are some restrictions, but overall, I can teleport anything.” Balancing Cleomel’s excitement and the sensation of Nia’s tentacle moving within her after another climax, Lily tried to explain as best as she could. “I can’t say how I learned to use it, but it wasn’t from the Mage Tower. And that was rude! I’m younger than both of you!”

Standing up and placing her hands on Cleomel’s shoulders, Abelia guided the overenthusiastic knight back to her seat. The dark-skinned woman, realizing she had let her excitement get the better of her, gave a subtle, apologetic look, her face flushed from embarrassment over her outburst.

“I think you understand why I hadn’t revealed this before, right?” Lily said, regaining her upright posture in the chair. Her now-expressionless face betrayed no hint of the fact that, during the brief pause, she had skillfully murmured for Nia to help clean up the damp mess at her crotch— as a result of her wife making her orgasm too.

“Yes, we can’t fault you for wanting to keep this a secret,” Abelia replied. “If word of this reached the wrong people, it could endanger your safety.”

The noblelady knew that Lily revealing this to her meant she was entrusting her with information that could potentially compromise her. The girl who had started this conversation by saying that it wouldn’t be fair to ask without offering something in return now expected the two women to fulfill their part.

“Lady Lily, please, go ahead, ask whatever you need.” Abelia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her obsidian eyes fixed firmly on the silver-haired woman.

Hearing Abelia’s words, Lily reflected once again on all the events.

From the moment she found the two women captured in the forest and listened to their stories, Lily had felt that something was wrong. As her memories returned, all the puzzle pieces were falling into place. There was no chance that she could just rush into things with another risky attack, risking her life and Nia’s. She needed a plan. Her deduction of the situation was nearly complete, but the fact that so many things behind this situation were still unknown made her feel that she needed to gather all the missing information.

“When that man went after the two of you, he referred to you by another name, didn’t he? Could you explain how he knew you, Abelia?”

When the question finally came, Cleomel looked at her mistress with concern, but the noblewoman extended her hand to her palm as if to say that everything was fine.

“Lady Lily helped us from the beginning, with no expectations in return, and good faith. Without her, we would have the same fate as Alice in the mines—or perhaps met a fate worse than death at the hands of those bandits. Now that I know my daughter is alive, I can’t worry about what I’ll have to do if it means saving her.”

Abelia stood up slowly. Her back was straight, her chin slightly raised, and her eyes still fixed firmly—almost palpably—on the woman in front of her.

“Allow me to introduce myself again.”

When her voice sounded, it sliced through the air with an unexpected clarity, surprising both Lily and Nia. Each word carried an authority they had never experienced before.

“I am Vivienne Abelia Anthus. The second wife of the king.”