Moonlight streamed through the vent, bathing the beautiful fox-person in its glow.
"My apologies!" Haruhime flushed crimson, recalling their earlier contact. She swished her tail and parted her cherry lips.
"Master remains here... seeking a second time, is it not?"
"Hm? My name's Bell Cranel. There's no need to be so formal, Haruhime-san." Bell gently brushed aside her odd question.
"Hmm... Cranel-sama, do you wish to have a second round with this servant?" Haruhime smoothed her golden hair, bit her lip, and asked again.
"Wait, what did you say?" Bell frowned.
Uncharacteristically, the youth couldn't follow her train of thought. What exactly did the fox girl mean by "a second time"?
"Cranel-sama... I know the second round will be longer... I'll try my best... Please, entrust everything to me..." Haruhime's golden tail trembled incessantly. It wasn't fear, but rather a Beast Human's way of soothing the overwhelming excitement surging within her.
"After such an intense encounter... Cranel-sama still isn't satisfied... How can he be so full of energy..."
The very instant Haruhime began undressing, Bell finally understood why Aisha called Haruhime a "sly fox." He hadn't done anything at all—what kind of dream had this fox girl been having? Without a doubt, Haruhime was fantasizing about an intense "battle" that never happened.
As a courtesan, she hadn't just learned various skills—she'd memorized every line to please her clients.
"Cranel-sama must be exhausted... Let me guide you through the second round..." A seductive glint flashed across Haruhime's delicate features.
"Haruhime-san? Please wait..." Bell could understand her state of mind. The purer and nobler the soul, the harder it is to accept reality when plunged into the depths of depravity.
Haruhime's psychological burden must be immense, blurring the line between dream and reality. Understanding is one thing, but what kind of dream could this fox girl have had to make her so excited?
No matter how Bell tried to dissuade her, she seemed oblivious, quietly removing her kimono. Bell sighed deeply, placing both hands on her shoulders.
"Haruhime-san, please sit down. Let's talk for a moment." Bell couldn't bring himself to tell her it was all a delusion. After all, this was the kind-hearted lie Aisha had painstakingly maintained all along. Bell couldn't trample on it.
"I understand..." Haruhime, her face flushed, dressed herself and sat down respectfully. Bell sat beside her and murmured softly,
"There's no need to be so stiff. Relax a little."
"But Cranel-sama is a guest, and I am merely a lowly courtesan..." Haruhime protested.
"So, Haruhime-san, are you afraid of me?" Bell pressed.
"No... When other guests come, I pretend to be asleep, but Cranel-sama is different... I'm truly happy. It's an honor to be favored by you..." Haruhime's posture relaxed considerably, though traces of aristocratic grace remained evident.
"..." Bell frowned.
What does "as if asleep" even mean? She clearly passed out... But this is some serious double standards, right? Could it be that her state of mind changed around him, giving birth to new dreams? Her former fear and dread had transformed into reassurance and delight. This Renard maiden, untouched by love, couldn't help but conjure strange fantasies (spring dreams), which she recorded in detail, mistaking them for reality.
"If Haruhime finds pleasure in it, that's truly wonderful..." Unable to shatter her delusion, Bell offered only a bitter smile, acknowledging that first round—a complete fabrication.
"Hmm, but Cranel-san, are you truly not interested in another round? You did offer such a precious gemstone." Haruhime blinked her emerald eyes, casting a suggestive gaze.
A night of passion is worth a thousand gold. This was a phrase often spoken by the women within the brothel. Judging by the manager's attitude, Haruhime knew the gemstone the youth had offered was undoubtedly invaluable.
"That gem... well, it was well worth it to have Haruhime-san accompany me for the night." Bell answered truthfully. He simply couldn't bring himself to say that the gem had actually been stolen from Apollo Familia... If that Hyakinthos were to discover his cherished gem had been used as currency in a brothel, who knew what he might think.
"Cranel-sama jests. I am not worth such a price..." Though Haruhime spoke thus, her tail wagged happily. She could feel the boy's sincerity. It was as if he genuinely believed spending a night with Haruhime was more precious than that gemstone.
"Of course it is. Haruhime-san's smile is far more beautiful and captivating than any gem." Bell offered his sincere praise. He could never forget that fleeting smile. What emotions had stirred within the fox girl when she had turned that smile toward him outside her room? If she were to regain her freedom, that ephemeral, exquisite smile would surely bloom even more radiantly, more captivatingly.
"Beautiful... beautiful... I'm merely a courtesan... unworthy of such words..." Haruhime twitched her crimson ears and stammered in response.
"It has nothing to do with status or circumstances. I wish to understand you more, Haruhime-san. Might you tell me about your past?" Bell voiced his thoughts candidly.
"I understand... If it is Cranel-sama, I am willing to share my past..." Under the faint moonlight, Haruhime began recounting her experiences.
"My homeland lies in the Far East..." Haruhime was born in an island country surrounded by the sea, where spring brought cherry blossoms, summer cicadas, autumn maple leaves, and winter snow—the scenery shifting with the changing seasons. Her golden hair swayed gently, as if sending her thoughts back to the homeland she missed.
"I had no mother. My father was a government official." As Bell had guessed, Haruhime grew up in a prominent family, learning etiquette from a young age. Like a caged bird, she remained within the confines of the mansion. Though somewhat dull, friends from the shrine would sneak her out to savor the leisure of the outside world. Haruhime yearned deeply for everything beyond her walls, longing to witness more sights with her own eyes. Yet this desire would be fulfilled in the most disastrous manner.
"I was overcome by sleep... and stole an important offering meant for our honored guest... I was cast out from my home..." The offering meant for the Sun Goddess Amaterasu had vanished. Traces of food remained on Haruhime's lips.
Based on this alone, she was deemed the culprit and her family decided to sever all ties with her. While Haruhime was still in a daze, the Pallum who had brought the offering took her away. Bell instantly understood—this was a meticulously planned scheme to abduct the fox girl.
"And then?" Bell asked softly.
"Later, this servant encountered demonic spirits attacking along the road... The noble who brought me here abandoned me and fled... ...At the last moment, this servant was rescued by a band of thieves. They saw that I was young and a virgin, so they sold me for a high price to Orario..."
A series of twists and turns. When Haruhime first arrived in Orario, she was accidentally seen by the goddess Ishtar. Since then, she had been imprisoned as a prostitute, bound to this life.
"Cranel-sama..." Seeing the pain in the young man's expression, Haruhime hurriedly spoke, "I have Aisha-san and the others here, and I live well every day..."
"..." Bell remained silent, facing the fox girl feigning strength.
In this world teeming with monsters, tragic backgrounds weren't uncommon. Yet Haruhime had never uttered a single complaint. She simply stated the facts calmly.
Even when cast out from her home, even when sold as merchandise to Orario, Haruhime had held back her tears. She was thinking of the boy. Haruhime knew full well that her past was a tragedy, a miserable truth no one wanted to hear. So she fought back the tears welling in her eyes, refusing to let the boy see them.
Only now did Bell truly understand the meaning behind that smile. Behind her yearning for freedom lay a heart that had grown strong.
"Haruhime-san, please come closer." Bell spoke gently.
"Cranel-sama... Are we... beginning... now?!" Her words faded into the moonlight. Bell drew the fox girl into his embrace, holding her tenderly.
"Cranel-sama... this servant..." Feeling warmth she hadn't known for years, Haruhime found herself at a loss for words.
"You've been strong enough. There's no need to endure any longer." Bell offered his chest, gently stroking Haruhime's head.
"I... I truly haven't..." Haruhime tried to protest, but tears welled up uncontrollably. One drop, then another, eventually forming a crystal-clear cascade that ran down her cheeks.
Why was she born without a mother? Why was she locked indoors, forbidden to leave? Why was she cast out from her home for no apparent reason? Why did she encounter monsters? Why was she sold to Orario to become a courtesan?
Doubts, sorrow, agony... Everything poured out with her tears. The warmer the boy's embrace, the deeper the pain within Haruhime's heart.
"Cranel-sama... I am already a prostitute! I am utterly unworthy of any connection to a hero!" This warmth was both the antidote comforting her soul and the poison leading her to ruin. To a hero, a prostitute symbolized destruction.
Haruhime could not beg the boy for salvation. In her eyes, from the moment her body had been defiled, she had fallen into an eternal abyss, never to see the light of day again.
"..." The girl's tears soaked his chest, plunging Bell into conflict. He couldn't tell Haruhime that she still possessed her virginity. Beyond Aisha's conviction, the goddess Ishtar ruled over these prostitutes. If she harbored envy or obsession toward virgins...
Upon learning this truth through his conversation with Haruhime, she might forcibly order the men of her familia to defile her. Yet if Bell concealed the truth and acknowledged her status as a prostitute, he couldn't refute Haruhime's words of ruin.
Caught in this dilemma, Bell spoke slowly: "Haruhime-san, do you like me?"
"Mm..." The fox girl answered through sobs. Though their time together had been brief, the boy was the only one Haruhime felt comfortable confiding in. The tragic past weighing on her heart had tormented her for far too long. This precious warmth, she wished to treasure for a lifetime.
"If... if you still possessed your virginity, would you give it to me?" Bell asked softly.
"Of course! I truly love Cranel-sama! But I have already... already..." Haruhime's face was wet with tears. The youth gently stroked her cheek as their eyes met. Passionate gazes intertwined. A sorrowful love welled up amidst the tears.
In the next instant, Bell leaned in toward those cherry blossom-like lips and kissed her directly.