POV - Max
I woke up today to the feeling of something light, warm, and surprisingly soft weighing down on me.
It wasn't the musty wool blanket from home, nor the patched straw mattress I had grown up with. This was feather bed luxury, softer than clouds, warmer than summer sun. And then there was the weight. A presence.
When I opened my eyes, I was startled, but not unhappy, to see that the weight was none other than my new dark elf employer. Lira.
She had crawled onto my bed, blankets still tangled around me, and was nuzzling her face into my chest like some affectionate cat. Her voice came muffled through fabric and warmth.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead."
Her tone was playful, motherly even, but her body was definitely not motherly. I froze, caught between instinct and propriety.
"Lira! What are you doing?"
My words came out more startled than stern. Truth be told, what man in his right mind would complain about waking up this way? Only a liar or an impotent fool.
She giggled, the sound mischievous. "Fufufu. Max, you need to get used to this. You'll understand once I teach you about dark elves. Once you do, I doubt you'll object."
She was more lively than yesterday. A huge meal, a proper bath, and a feather bed will do that to anyone, I suppose.
Lira shifted, sitting upright while still straddling me through the blankets. My eyes betrayed me, flicking to her swaying breasts as she sat up. She didn't seem to mind.
"Today is your first full day as my assistant," she declared, golden eyes gleaming. "Which means we have tasks to complete."
I raised an eyebrow. "And what's first on the list?"
"Clothes. For both of us." She tugged at her revealing leather straps with a little grimace. "I can't walk around dressed like this anymore. I imagine aside from that enchanted coat, you don't have much either."
She wasn't wrong. I owned one spare set of farm clothes back at home, but I had no intention of going back. My family would get their farewell message and money soon enough.
The coat, though, that was different. Last night, she'd explained its power: the [Omni-Enchant Coat], rare beyond belief. With mana channeled through it, it buffed strength, reflexes, and endurance, while shielding against curses and minor magic. Eventually, I'd learn to channel mana into it passively. For now, I'd need training.
"Also," she added, her smile widening, "this lodge doesn't serve breakfast. So we should go out."
I sat up straighter, excitement bubbling. Last night had been my first proper restaurant meal in twenty-one years. Not ration bread. Not boiled vegetables. Actual food. And now, breakfast in the inner dome?
"I'd be more than happy to."
I reached up, wrapping my arms around her slender waist and lifting her off me with ease. She yelped softly as I set her on the edge of the bed, the blankets falling away.
"First though," I grinned, "you need to let me get up."
Her cheeks flushed a delicate rose against dusky skin. She hid her face behind her hands, but I caught the smile tugging at her lips.
At her insistence, our first stop was a dressmaker of renown in the inner dome. She wore my enchanted coat over her usual attire on the walk there, drawing only minimal attention.
Inside, she told the seamstress she needed modest travel clothes, enough for a two-week journey, plus one dress she could wear out immediately.
The whole time, she blushed.
My instincts told me this was more than modesty. The way she had clung to me this morning, the way she covered herself before leaving, and the insistence on new clothes, they were all connected. But I wasn't about to assume. If dark elves had rules I didn't understand, best to let her explain in her own time.
The seamstress gave me a lecture, wagging a finger. "Be good to her. Women who trust men enough to change in front of them don't do it lightly."
I nodded, feeling my ears burn. Did she know more than I did? Probably.
When Lira stepped out wearing a long grey dress, simple yet elegant, I found it hard to look away. Perfect for travel, perfect for her. She wasted no time latching back onto my arm as we left.
We ended up at a café that smelled of roasted beans and warm sugar. I'd never seen so many unfamiliar foods in one place.
"Max," she said, leaning across the table, "if you don't have requests, let me order. Getting used to this lifestyle won't happen overnight."
I exhaled in relief. "Thank you. That would put me at ease."
What followed was nothing short of revelation.
Coffee. A dark, bitter liquid that jolted me awake in a single sip. Lira added milk and sugar for herself, but I found I preferred it black. She laughed at me.
"How amusing! Straight black, like a seasoned mage."
Then came pastries: flaky crusts filled with cream, sugared buns dripping with honey, delicate slices of cheesecake topped with berries. I had heard of such things, farmhands whispered that noble ladies ate them in excess, but I'd never tasted one.
I finally understood why the nobility hoarded sweets.
More enjoyable than the food, however, was the way Lira insisted on feeding me.
"Open wide, Max. This one's strawberry cheesecake."
Her fingers brushed my lips as she pushed the bite toward me, her golden eyes dancing with mischief. I didn't resist. Why would I? A man would have to be dead not to enjoy being fed cake by a beautiful dark elf.
By the end, I leaned back, full and more content than I'd ever been. When the bill arrived, I reached for it immediately.
"Let me."
She shook her head. "No, Max. You don't—"
"I insist." My tone hardened. "I've never paid for a meal with a woman before. The best I've done is cook vegetables I grew. Let me have this. Let this be the first time."
Her cheeks flushed again. She lowered her gaze and nodded.
I paid. And for the first time in my life, I felt like a man of worth.
Afterward, I brought up what I needed next.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to buy clothes and travel essentials. And… I want to send a money note to my parents. With a message."
Her expression softened. "Yes, we can do that. We'll also need to check travel arrangements. From here, we'll go to a port city, then catch an airship to Academy Island."
The thought of leaving Arcadia forever set my chest alight with relief. No more back-breaking labor for scraps. No more guards treating me like dirt. No more Van and his brothers.
Instead, I'd have new clothes, a mana pistol, an enchanted coat, and, most importantly, an employer who treated me not like dirt, but like someone valuable.