The next day, Silvia came rushing over after hearing my request.
“W-What did you say? In heat?!”
Out of breath, Silvia spoke without pausing, so I offered her some tea.
Barely sipping it, she asked again.
“Are you sure there’s no problem?”
“Yes, I am.”
“If you say so, Ian… but why are you suddenly making people worry like this? You’re not usually like this.” “I’m ashamed.”
Hah.
With a worried sigh, Silvia crossed her legs.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Silvia, I know you’re busy.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad you called me because you needed me.”
She mumbled that so softly, it was almost inaudible, her face turning red.
It seemed like she hadn’t meant to say it aloud, just a thought that slipped out.
Ahem-.
Silvia lightly cleared her throat.
“But if you’re in heat…”
Her expression quickly turned serious.
“I thought it was only an issue animals or beastfolk faced, where pent-up desires explode and… well, instincts override the mind.”
“You don’t have to explain it so specifically.”
“To think a human could become a slave to their own desires like that. Honestly, I can’t imagine it. How could you endure such a humiliating condition?”
Is something wrong with me?
Silvia’s words were starting to sound like scolding.
And… I didn’t realize I had this sort of reaction.
My heart was starting to beat faster.
No.
I need to calm down.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, Silvia continued with either bluntness or disdain.
“Humans maintain dignity by holding onto reason, and to abandon that for instincts… it’s pathetic. If you’re like that, you’re no better than an animal.”
“…”
I kept my mouth shut.
I couldn’t argue back against her words.
Just hearing her harsh judgment was making me ache down there again.
In this state, standing up was absolutely out of the question.
Besides—
“In any case, I’ll give Ian my full support today.”
Her words drew my gaze toward her upper body.
A light, sheer blouse that let a hint of her skin show through.
Silvia had been wearing these see-through tops occasionally as of late. She paired them with sophisticated black lingerie underneath.
Lichten Academy was once all abuzz over this seductive attire of hers.
Apparently, her designer clothes and lingerie had sold out completely.
Of course, they were Laurent Trading products.
But that’s not the point.
‘…This feels different than usual.’
The top was still sheer as usual.
The issue was…
‘It looks like she isn’t wearing anything underneath.’
I couldn’t see any trace of the lingerie that should have been supporting her.
Through the translucent white blouse, there was a faint glimpse of her skin.
And if I looked carefully, it seemed to have a faint pinkish glow…
-Smack!
I slapped my own cheek, snapping myself out of it.
Silvia looked startled.
“W-Why did you do that?”
“It’s nothing. I just felt like I needed a sudden wake-up call.”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Silvia’s eyes became slightly misty. Why was she looking at me like that?
She took my hand in hers.
“I’ll make sure to help you properly today. If you start feeling in heat, just let me know. I’ll make it so you’ll never feel desire again.”
… Is that really okay?
I wanted to ask how exactly she planned on making me “not feel desire,” but something about her gaze today felt intimidating.
“Especially you, Ian. You’re the kind of person who could do anything if you set your mind to it.”
“… I have no idea what kind of image you have of me.”
“A smart, decisive person who would do whatever it takes to achieve their goal?”
Isn’t that a bit too flattering?
“That’s why I’ll be keeping a close eye on you, to keep you from getting any funny ideas.”
“… Thanks.”
This level of vigilance is part of Silvia’s charm.
She quickly assesses situations and devises strategies that fit perfectly.
She’s always spot on.
Silvia’s mind was probably already processing several different plans.
She’d even have emergency protocols ready for unexpected situations.
I could practically hear the gears turning in her head.
After a moment of tapping her lips thoughtfully, she cautiously spoke.
“But, you know…”
“Hm?”
“That… that is…”
Uncharacteristically, Silvia hesitated.
Clasping her hands like she was praying, she rolled her eyes a little before speaking.
“There’s… I mean… there’s a chance you might actually reach a point where you can’t hold back, right?”
Ah, she’d already thought that far ahead.
So dependable.
“Yeah.”
“And if that happens… th-that… that…”
“That?”
Her mouth moved slightly, her lips glistening.
“T-Then, I… No!”
“Hm?”
“Just tell me! Tell me if that happens! You have to!”
Silvia raised her voice unusually high. I guess that just shows how worried she is.
“Thank you.”
“Y-yeah, sure.”
But now that I think about it…
“Considering you’ve thought about worst-case scenarios, do you actually trust me?”
“Yes, I trust you, Ian.”
“?”
“Because you’ve never broken your word. You’ve always been there to protect me. So I trust you. Just you.”
Honestly, I was a little moved.
I didn’t realize Silvia trusted me this much.
“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”
◆
“This way.”
We walked outside the academy. It was a bit unexpected.
With Silvia’s personality, I thought she’d lock me away somewhere or tie me down completely.
“… Is that something you’re into, Ian?”
“No.”
“Well, if you wanted, I could make that happen.”
Silvia cast a sidelong glance at me before looking ahead again.
… That look was a bit unsettling.
Calm down, my friend.
I swallowed and kept walking, following Silvia.
“So, where are we going?”
The boundary between the northern and eastern parts of the Academy.
The moderately bustling street started to grow lively.
I could hear laughter spilling from beyond the corner of the alley, shaped like an ‘L’.
Curious, I wondered what it could be, and just then, Silvia stepped up beside me.
“Give me your arm.”
Without another word, she looped her arm through mine.
“?”
“I need to make sure no one else touches you.”
Silvia spoke bluntly, though her cheeks looked slightly flushed under the streetlights.
As I offered my arm, she held onto it firmly. I could feel her warmth… but.
‘I have to resist.’
“Come along.”
With her arm linked through mine, she led me forward. As we turned the corner, the scenery changed.
“… A street festival?”
Seeing my surprised expression, Silvia beamed.
“It’s a light-hearted festival day.”
This type of street stall wasn’t really her style, was it?
I wondered.
But Silvia held my arm tightly and led me into the crowded alley.
Food stalls of all kinds.
Games like fish scooping.
Shops selling various trinkets.
Silvia’s eyes sparkled as she looked around.
“Look, Ian! If you catch a goldfish, you get to keep it! Let’s try!”
Watching her pout as the thin paper net tore under the goldfish’s weight was strangely endearing.
“That looks delicious! It’s like a cloud made of sugar!”
Silvia, who would usually never touch sugar or artificial colors, indulged in a huge puff of cotton candy.
“Try this on! A bunny hat! Haha! It suits you so well!”
Clapping her hands with joy as she placed a character hat on me.
Each moment revealed a new side of Silvia.
A glimpse of her innocent side. Watching her laugh so freely was oddly soothing.
Not the capable woman buried in documents, planning for the future.
But a girl enjoying cotton candy, frowning at gimmicky games, and giggling as she made others wear cute hats.
Maybe this was the real Silvia Laurent.
“Come this way.”
Before I knew it, we were holding hands.
Walking, I glanced at the fox mask tilted slightly on the side of her head.
“Here we are.”
By now, streetlamps were beginning to flicker on, one by one, in the evening glow.
She had brought me to a quiet riverside. Beside a wooden dock, a small rowboat awaited us.
“Get in.”
The little boat looked just like the one we had taken in the capital.
Only this time, there were blankets and cushions inside.
As before, our legs brushed, and our breaths mingled.
But unlike last time, there was no awkwardness.
It felt completely natural.
Silvia’s eyes sparkled as she pointed toward the sky.
“This is the perfect spot.”
“… For what?”
I didn’t really need to ask.
— Fwoooosh!
A single firework shot straight up, streaking a line across the sky.
For a moment, everything was silent as the firework burned up.
— Boom!
Countless fiery flowers blossomed, painting the sky in a vivid display.
Watching the fireworks over the still water, undisturbed by anyone else, truly felt like the perfect spot, just as Silvia had promised.
Her face changed color with each flash of the fireworks.
I found myself staring at her face, entranced.
Noticing my gaze, she turned to me with a bright smile.
“Is it really that pretty?”
“Yeah.”
“The fireworks? Or… me?”
Silvia’s playful question hung in the air, and I answered with equal playfulness.
“Both.”
Silence settled between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
Instead of responding, Silvia held out her hand.
“?”
“Take my hand.”
“But…”
“Unless you’re some weirdo who gets excited just by holding hands, right, Ian?”
Right. Let’s hope not.
I took her hand, feeling its warmth.
Her fingers were long and graceful, and the ring I’d given her was there, snug on her ring finger.
Her skin was soft, except for the calluses on the fingers she used to hold her pen.
I held her hand for a while, feeling its warmth, until Silvia’s voice, slightly flustered, broke the silence.
“Ian…”
“Yeah?”
“… It’s… up.”
She was right. Just from holding her hand.
“… I guess I’m a p*rvert.”
Silvia laughed at my self-deprecating mutter.
“Pffft!”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Nothing… but…”
She averted her gaze, her voice dropping to a murmur.
“… I could help.”
“Huh?”
“If it’s too much… I could help you with that.”
— Boooom!
The last firework exploded, casting a blush of red across Silvia’s face.
