Gardenia’s Heart

Crossing the portal that resembled a starry sky, Lily braced herself to face the mist-covered forest. However, when she emerged on the other side, she found herself staring at the rocky walls of a place she knew all too well.

“Hm... Nia, isn’t this the cave where we spent our wedding night?”

Though they hadn’t stayed there long, Lily could never mistake the place where they had shared such intense memories. Since only a few days had passed, the remnants of the old campfire and the faint marks on the dirt floor left by the ice crystals that once sealed the entrance were still visible.

(If we’re going after them, the best place to start is the middle of the forest since they’ve likely already passed through here.) Nia responded quickly.

Reflecting for just a moment, Lily realized Nia’s suggestion was the most efficient. If they started from Caligo’s entrance, they could end up wasting too much time trying to track Oliver’s group.

“All right, then let’s—!?”

Before Lily could prepare to leave the cave, her balance betrayed her as her body was lifted off the ground by two strong arms.

“Lily, you’re not seriously thinking of running around like this, are you?” The sweet voice—belonging to none other than Nia—didn’t echo in her mind but instead resonated directly in her ears.

Before Lily could react, Nia gently placed her on a bed she had just formed.

“N-Nia, what are you doing?” Lily stammered, her gaze fixed on the beautiful, violet-haired woman before her.

With a graceful motion, the girl in a black ruffled dress and a white apron climbed onto the large bed. Her shy crawl as she approached Lily made her every movement more delicate.

“First, let’s talk about what’s bothering you.” Nia’s soft voice was accompanied by her gloved hands cupping Lily’s warm cheeks, her fingers gently caressing her skin.

“I know I’ve said this before, but Nia really does understand me, doesn’t she?” Powerless under the tender touch, Lily felt the loving warmth from Nia growing inside her, gradually extinguishing the small flame of anger that had been stirring moments earlier. “It’s just... when we made that deal in the labyrinth, I told you it was worth believing in people’s kindness. When I thought that belief had been shattered, that he had deceived me, I didn’t know how to handle it.”

Even though her voice had been cold just moments ago, when speaking with Nia, Lily’s heart seemed to find calm, no matter the situation.

“I can’t tell you not to worry. Lily knows people far better than I ever will. But even if you feel like you can’t trust others, remember that the flower most precious to you will always be here to make everything work out. I am your Gardenia, after all.” Nia whispered gently, pressing a soft kiss to her wife’s forehead.

“When you use my own words against me like that, how could I possibly argue?” Lily murmured, closing her eyes to savor the warmth lingering where Nia’s lips had touched. “Why does it feel like you’re the one taking care of me now?”

Pulling back slightly, Nia placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her modest chest with a proud smile.

“I need to become a responsible wife, so Lily never has to carry everything alone again.”

With a playful grin, Nia leaned closer, lowering herself until she was nearly lying atop the bed. Then, with both hands, she gently spread Lily’s legs and lifted the hem of her black dress.

“And to start... I need to take responsibility for what I’ve done.”

The cryptic words and gestures left Lily confused for only a fleeting moment.

“Nyaah!” A high-pitched moan escaped Lily’s mouth the moment her panties slid down between her legs, her fingers gripping the sheet as her waist trembled.

“We’ve made a mess, haven’t we~?” Nia’s humming voice mingled among Lily’s loud moans, the passionate metamorph watching with hearts in her eyes between her wife’s legs.

Shaking in inconstant rhythms even if no stimulation was given, Lily’s entire groin was so sensitive that even Nia’s hot breath was driving her crazy.

“N-Nia... Mhnhm... Be gentle.” Even though her face was red with sensitivity, Lily didn’t stop the girl, who continued to stare at her most intimate part with intensity.

Even though the metamorph could absorb and control the liquids forming on Lily’s skin, the silver-haired girl was releasing so much viscous love juice from her vagina during the various small climaxes she had had over the last few hours that the sensitivity of her body was already bringing her mind to the brink of collapse.

“Calm down, I’ll just clean up this time~”

Carefully, Nia removed the purple tentacle that was still lodged in Lily’s anus. Using gentle movements, she wiped away the viscous love juice that had begun to flow out, her face hot as she remembered everything they had done.

“Mhmmm... Aah...” Lily felt her breath warm up. As they were far away from anyone else, she could let out her moans as much as she wanted without holding back.

Nia realized that just the gentle slide of her hands between Lily’s legs was enough to make her already sensitive body arch up. In other situations, she would have lost her sanity at such an image, but this time Nia knew that it wasn’t the time for that.

“I overdid it, didn’t I? I’m sorry.” Depositing several soft kisses around Lily’s clitoris, Nia gently wiped away all the love juice that had just been released.

Due to recent events and the many moments they had spent surrounded by others, Nia hadn’t been able to spend as much time with Lily as she wished. This had caused her to accumulate far more desire than usual, leading her to lose control on several occasions.

Though Lily had playfully started calling her naughty some time ago, Nia had come to realize it was no longer just a joke—it had become true. When she could no longer hold back, she began seeking out secret moments of intimacy with Lily whenever possible. Nia knew Lily would never turn her down, no matter the situation. Even if there were people nearby, Lily would do her best to suppress her moans and love Nia as much as she desired.

Sliding Lily’s panties back into place, Nia gently adjusted her wife’s dress before pressing a few soft kisses to her forehead and cheek.

“If I told Lily I would try to hold back from now on, I know she’d tell me it’s not necessary. So instead, I’ll just make sure to take responsibility every single time.” Speaking softly, Nia carefully laid Lily back down on the bed.

“Put it like that, and how could I even think of stopping you?” Lily chuckled lightly, settling comfortably against the covers. “You were feeling a little lonely, weren’t you? To be honest... I was too.”

“Lily too?” Nia asked, crawling even closer with a surprised expression.

“We stopped by a café and visited a school... but there are still so many places I want to go with you, Nia, I can hardly contain myself.” Raising a finger, Lily curled it playfully, beckoning Nia closer. When the metamorph was near enough, Lily whispered into her ear, “And you don’t seriously think you’re the only one who wants to throw herself onto this bed and love each other until we can’t walk anymore... do you?”

The way Nia’s face instantly flushed red made Lily laugh softly again. Stretching out both arms, she welcomed the violet-haired girl into a warm embrace.

“Have I told you I love you?” Lily murmured with a smile as Nia eagerly accepted the hug.

“You have... but not enough.” Smiling back, the maid-dressed girl buried her face between her wife’s soft breasts, pressing herself as close as she could.

“I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you!” Lily whispered over and over, kissing Nia’s face repeatedly. As she did, her body finally began to relax, the lingering tension in her legs fading away.

Amid the flurry of kisses, a tentacle sprouted from Nia’s back, retrieving a small vial filled with a golden liquid.

“A stamina potion? Where did you even get that?” Lily arched an eyebrow, arms still wrapped around Nia’s back as she eyed the potion curiously.

“I got it from the Mage Academy’s supply room. Consider it her repayment for trying to hit on you—so it’s not stealing.” Puffing her cheeks, Nia rubbed her face between Lily’s breasts once more. After a few more seconds, Nia took the yellow potion from the tentacle and then filled her mouth with the liquid.

With delicate hands, she cupped Lily’s face, leaning in to deliver the potion through a deep kiss.

The wet sound of their lips meeting echoed softly in the cave, Nia’s tongue dancing skillfully with Lily’s as she transferred the liquid. Even when the potion was entirely consumed, their lips remained locked, tongues entwining in a passionate rhythm. Only after several minutes did they finally part, their warm breaths mingling as they stayed mere inches apart, unwilling to pull away.

”You wanted to give me the potion, or were you just looking for an excuse to kiss me, your bad girl~?” Lily chuckled at Nia’s bold and unconventional method of sharing a potion, sitting up carefully on the bed.

”I have no idea what Lily is talking about.” Nia’s muffled voice came from between Lily’s ample breasts, her face buried there once more.

Unable to resist that cuteness, Lily gave her a firm hug before preparing to leave the bed. Just like the last time she had taken an intermediate stamina potion, her body felt as though it had been thoroughly rested. This type of potion couldn’t be overused, as its effects would gradually diminish, but after their ”intense activities,” it had done wonders to restore her strength.

”Alright, let’s get going th—!?”

Before she could even set foot on the ground, her body was lifted once again as the bed beneath her vanished.

With one arm supporting her knees and the other around her back, Lily was now undeniably being carried like a princess.

”The stamina potion doesn’t work on me quite as well as it does on you, but it has definitely eased the strain of maintaining my human form for so long. I still have a bit of time before I need to rest, so let me do a little more for you until then.” Pressing Lily closer against her, this time with Lily’s head nestled between her modest breasts, Nia leapt out of the cave with a gentle smile on her face.

At first, Lily wanted to protest, to tell Nia not to push herself. But the moment she felt the warmth of Nia’s arms, so secure and comforting, all her resistance melted away.

”So this is how it feels for you, Nia...” Lily murmured, mesmerized as she watched Nia gracefully leap between the dense forest trees. Placing both hands over her heart, she felt a gentle warmth spreading through her chest.

Although there were times when Nia would take control of her body, Lily could still intervene if necessary. But being in a situation where she didn’t have to do anything but trust her wife entirely made her feel an unfamiliar, pleasant heat rising to her cheeks.

In Nia’s arms, every worry and threat seemed to lose its importance. Every detail of her was enchanting. The way her short violet hair fell over her shoulders, swaying with her every step. The faintly sweet scent she carried, so similar to Lily’s yet somehow distinct—so gentle and soothing that it made Lily want to stay close forever. Even the rhythmic sway from Nia’s movement, which should have been uncomfortable, was instead a comforting sensation, sending soft shivers up Lily’s neck every time her arms adjusted her hold with even more care.

For the first time, Lily felt small and precious, knowing without a doubt that to the one carrying her, she was the only treasure in the world that mattered.

Her shining eyes remained fixed on the woman she loved most, watching as Nia shielded her from stray branches, navigated through the forest using the mana compass, and warded off weaker monsters with nothing more than her presence.

”We’re close, Lily,” Nia whispered.

Nia’s gentle voice pulled Lily from her thoughts. The beautiful girl with crimson eyes gazed at her with a soft smile, while a purple tentacle gently stroked her hair.

Leaping onto the branch of a tall tree, Nia had moved so swiftly that Lily hadn’t even noticed how much time had passed. When she felt Nia beginning to set her down, Lily instinctively tightened her arms around her.

”Is something wrong?” Nia asked, balancing on the branch, puzzled by the sudden embrace.

”Acting so effortlessly cool without even noticing... that’s just unfair,” Lily murmured, her voice soft and teasing. ”How much longer do you plan to keep making me fall for you?”

Loosening the hug just enough to meet Nia’s frozen expression, Lily let out a quiet laugh before pressing her back against her chest, her gaze drifting into the dense mist below.

”So that’s where Oliver and his group are, isn’t it?” she asked, her dark mana-enhanced eyes spotting a large blue light glowing in the distance.

”Y-Yes! After sensing a mana frequency once, I won’t forget it. That’s definitely Abelia’s son,” Nia replied with a stammer, still unsure which of her actions had earned her so much affection. ”But, Lily... we need to hurry. There are many other presences there—it’s definitely a battle.”

Lily didn’t need further explanation. The moment Nia merged back into her body, she leapt from the tree branch, swiftly closing the distance.

Within moments, the unmistakable sound of multiple voices shouting reached her ears, and a battlefield unfolded before her eyes.

”Let her go right now!” a familiar male voice roared, followed by a surge of dark blue wind that scattered the fog.

At the center of the scorched, bloodstained ground, a swordsman wielding a slender black blade advanced slowly. His dark blue hair, tied back in a ponytail, whipped in the wind, and his battle attire was as stained as the earth around him.

”Don’t make me repeat myself. Release her!”

Oliver shouted again, his obsidian eyes burning with a sharp, fierce intensity as he pointed the tip of his blade at the man a few meters ahead.

”S-S-Stay back, or she dies!” the rough voice of a middle-aged man echoed, his battered armor barely covering half his chest. His trembling hand pressed a dagger to the neck of a small child.

Lily’s gaze swept across the battlefield in a heartbeat.

Scattered among the broken trees and torn earth lay four lifeless bodies—a woman and three men—all clad in armor matching the kidnapper’s. Their bodies bore deep sword wounds or piercing marks, as though struck by sharp thorns.

Behind Oliver, where the dense forest hadn’t yet been reduced to rubble, two men remained standing despite their injuries. One clutched a large shield while the other held a spiked club.

It only took Lily another second to understand why they hadn’t engaged further. Just behind them, a man and woman were huddled together, clutching a small child between them. Their faces were pale, twisted in fear, their tear-filled eyes fixed on the young girl being held hostage by the last remaining enemy.

(It must be the other teams spread out specifically along the mapped routes.) Nia commented, her sharp tone making it clear just how much the situation unsettled her.

After everything they had been through, neither of the girls believed in coincidences anymore. This was undoubtedly another group set up to ambush travelers.

”Every step you take closer is another finger she’ll lose!” the bandit shouted, drawing everyone’s attention once again. His left hand gripped the young girl tightly by the wrist, lifting her off the ground, while his right pressed the dagger dangerously close to her palm. ”You don’t want that, do you?”

”Tsch.” Clicking his tongue, Oliver halted his steps. The desperate look on the man’s face told him he wasn’t bluffing.

Taking a single step back to avoid further provoking the man, Oliver bit his lip, staring at the sobbing girl held in the bandit’s cruel grasp. There was no time to dwell on how the situation had come to this—he needed to decide what to do next.

”If you really want to get out of this alive, just let the child go and leave! We won’t pursue you—you have my word,” Oliver said, his voice steady as his right hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, searching for the slightest opening.

”You think I’m stupid, you bastard?! I know you can’t use that attack again while I’ve got her! If I let her go, you’ll just destroy everything here like you did to those idiots!” The bandit’s eyes flicked toward his fallen comrades, sweat dripping down his pale face as he shouted, emboldened by his advantage. ”So here’s how this will go—I’m leaving with her! Try to follow me, and she dies!”

”Colette!”

A woman’s desperate scream echoed through the battlefield as she reached out toward the small girl, her body restrained by the two wounded men at her sides. They couldn’t risk letting her act recklessly.

”Please! Let me go! My daughter—she’s crying! Colette! Colette!”

The mother’s heart-wrenching cries struck Oliver like a knife to the chest. He took a step forward, but before he could speak, the bandit’s voice rang out louder, cutting through the chaos.

”Don’t play the hero, brat! I might not be able to beat you, but I know you’re exhausted. The noise of this fight will attract monsters that shouldn’t even be on this route. If you waste any more time with me, you won’t be able to save those three pissing themselves back there!”

Oliver cursed under his breath, knowing the man was right. For the first time, his gaze drifted to his injured allies and the terrified civilians behind them.

”That’s it, just like that! Stay right where you are—don’t try anything stupid!”

The bandit began to retreat slowly, keeping the girl in front of him like a shield, his eyes locked on Oliver’s every move.

”Mama!”

Yet the moment the child’s voice pierced the air, it was as if the entire world froze.

”...Huh?”

Confusion echoed in the man’s mind as his gaze lowered, the world suddenly feeling... shorter.

If there was so much pain, then why couldn’t he scream?

He was still standing, so why couldn’t he take another step?

When his eyes finally focused on the crystalline black surface beneath him, the answers became clear.

From his knees downward, everything had been frozen solid—clothes, flesh, even bone—reduced to fragile, black crystal shards scattered beneath him. The only reason the rest of his body hadn’t collapsed yet was because another layer of ice held his limbs in place, paralyzing him completely.

It was cold—so cold—but he couldn’t even scream in protest, for his mouth had been sealed shut by a thick layer of ice.

”It’s okay now. You can open your eyes.”

Hearing the soft voice, the young girl slowly opened her tear-filled eyes. Right before her, with expressions of complete shock, stood the people she loved most in the world.

”Mama! Papa!”

Without another thought, the girl burst into tears and ran straight into her parents’ arms.

Wearing a small smile, Lily turned away, walking calmly between the two men who could do nothing but stare at her, frozen in place. The black ice beneath her feet shifted subtly, adjusting as though responding to her will.

Stopping in front of the young man who was still staring at her with genuine surprise, Lily placed one hand on her hip while pointing toward the half-frozen bandit with the other.

”I hope you don’t mind my interference,” she said with an air of indifference.

”I-I... didn’t expect to see you again so soon... and in this way, no less,” Oliver replied cautiously, his body still trembling slightly from the cold and her sudden appearance, though he managed to keep his composure.

He swung his sword to clear it of blood and grime before sheathing it. His gaze then shifted to the now-reunited family, and a genuine sigh of relief escaped his lips.

”Thank you very much for your help in yet another delicate situation. Since you granted me the honor of knowing your name before, would it be acceptable for me to address you by it? Perhaps something like Lady Lily?”

Hearing the way he addressed her, Lily let out a soft whistle of amusement.

”Like mother, like son.”

In a swift motion, she spun her entire body, coating her leg in a surge of blue mana before delivering a powerful kick squarely to the center of Oliver’s rear, sending him tumbling to the ground with a loud thud.

”That’s for giving me a voucher for money that wasn’t even there. Since you’re Abelia’s son, I’ll let you off the hook with just that.”