The seconds passed and Sunny didn't move a muscle. He was leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
He wasn't thinking about anything in particular, but he felt somehow guilty about what had happened just a few moments earlier. Overcome by this feeling, he couldn't find the motivation to look away from the ceiling for the time being. The heat from the forge gradually subsided.
In his state of penance, a couple of images flashed through his mind, fleeting and blurred like an old; poorly cared photograph. But still recognisable.
His bitter expression softened a little as he remembered, only to frown again. 'So it was her? Very well. That puts things into perspective, I suppose.'
The mental image that appeared in his mind was of a girl identical to Telle in the Chained Isles, when he shared a meal with Saint Roan — while he was still a Master — and Saint Tyris. She was there, he didn't remember even noticing her, but she was there. He also remembered seeing her once in Antarctica.
That last memory made him let out an anguished groan.
'I hadn't thought about it that way. Could it be that I screwed up her life a little? It was largely my fault that she may have had a hard time. After all, because of me, she was expelled from her home, lost her prestige, and, following her clan, had to be dragged to horrible places like Antarctica and who knows what other bad experiences because of me... Cassie orchestrated all that, really, but I'm not free of blame either. But no one remembers that... Damn it. Can't anything be simple and pleasant?'
He rubbed his temple, snorted irritably, and after a moment of gathering his composure, the muscles in his face relaxed. He got up from his chair and stretched.
'Enough is enough, I want to finish this thing once and for all,' he thought, looking at the half-finished blade.
Determined to finish his work, he prepared the forge where he reheated the blade for a second time. Once the blade was in place and secured on the anvil, he prepared to hammer.
But when he grabbed the hammer and raised it to strike the first blow, he heard the door open again. His right eyelid twitched. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.
'This is a joke, right? It has to be. The world is testing my patience, and I'm getting tired of it. I'm sorry, but it's not going...'
The words died in his mouth when he saw his guest. On the floor lay the same blonde hair from a few minutes ago. He had assumed that Telle would not return, and if she did, it would not be soon, but he did not expect it to be immediately. Unconsciously, he tilted his head as he watched the girl on the floor, looking towards the door and how it slammed shut.
"Lady Telle?" The words escaped from his lips.
The pretty girl slowly turned towards him. Once their eyes met, they both froze. Telle's jaw dropped slightly, losing himself again in Sunny's exposed skin. He, on the other hand, snapped out of his stupor and immediately went to the girl on the floor. He leaned towards her.
"Are you all right, Lady Telle?" Sunny exclaimed worriedly, after seeing that the girl was not moving after falling to the ground.
The girl's eyes were frozen and fixed on him, but showed no signs of registering his presence as such. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lady Telle?"
With his other hand, he waved his palm in front of her vision. Only then did she snap out of her trance. "I'm sorry, it's nice to see you again," she said, looking down at the floor.
Sunny shook his head. "There's no need to apologise. Instead, I would like to insist on apologising for my behaviour earlier."
After saying that, he removed his hand from her shoulder and offered it to her. Telle, after glancing sideways at Sunny's hand, hesitated before accepting the kind gesture, taking his hand. Carefully, she stood up, trying not to untie her robe, which was her last line of dignity. Only once the girl was standing in front of him did he notice Telle's change of attire.
His eyebrows knitted together, his jaw dropped. Far from being excited, he was horrified. To his further dismay, he recognised the outfit
He had seen it once or twice in the wardrobe, not knowing who the real owner of the garment was, but given its size, he had his suspicions.
Now that he looked closely, although the entire outfit was not obscene in itself, it was far from appropriate, much less suitable for wearing anywhere other than in the privacy of one's own home. Perhaps it would be acceptable for a lady of the night performing her highly inquirable duties, but not for someone like the lovely Telle, or at least that was how Sunny felt.
He himself, despite being horrified by the outfit, couldn't help but let his eyes linger on her attributes for a second longer than he should have. It didn't help that there was so little space between the fabric and her skin, accentuating certain parts of her body that he shouldn't have been admiring.
He bit his tongue and looked away. "My lady! Why are you wearing that?!"
The nervousness in his voice was impossible to hide. As a result of this same feeling, he raised his voice more than he should have, and in response, the girl whose hand he was still holding trembled.
The trembling in her hand subsided when he squeezed the hand she had extended to him.
"I... I got wet... I was in your bed and I got too excited, so..." Her voice trailed off as she continued her halting account.
"Eh? Excuse me, what do you mean?" His jaw dropped when he heard what she said.
A wave of nerves rose from his gut, but he appealed to his common sense, what little he had left. "I don't think I understand some things very well. I'm going to ask you to clarify my doubts. Who gave you these clothes and what are you doing here dressed like this? And... What were you doing in my bed?"
"Miss Aiko gave me these clothes... She told me to come here... because..." Using all the willpower she had, she suppressed the emerging blush.
She couldn't give an answer; both her body and mind refused. "I came..."
Her eyes began to flicker and dart around in panic, refusing to look Sunny in the eye. She scanned the room as if looking for a way out. They stopped when she found something to at least cling to. Her free hand rose, catching Sunny's attention. She pointed her index finger behind him.
Reflexively, he turned around, and when he did, Telle's low voice sounded. "I want that sword... Yes, that's it. If it's not too much trouble... please."
Sunny turned to look at Telle, who was hiding her gaze among her hair, her head bowed. Sunny was confused to say the least, he had her own ideas about what was going on, but he decided to play along.
"Of course I can give it to you, but as you can see, it's not ready yet. But it won't be long, an hour or two at most. So if you want it right away, you'll have to wait a while. You could wait in the dining room if you want something while..."
"I'll stay here." Telle drew strength from somewhere she didn't even know to remain firm and calm.
Sunny blinked at the sudden firmness in her voice, which interrupted his. "I want to insist. I'm not shirtless for fun. Seriously, it gets really hot here."
"Yes... I noticed..." she whispered to herself.
She took advantage of this sudden wave of calm and confidence to speak less formally. She thought that perhaps this would make the situation less tense. "Let me insist, I'm fine like this... Do you think I'm that delicate?"
"I think you're very pretty..." he blurted out suddenly. Sunny bit her tongue as he finished the sentence. On the other hand, Telle's world began to collapse along with the brief confidence she had gained.
She felt her temperature rise, enough to make her face burn. Neither of them had the courage to look back at each other, but the silence forced Sunny to speak with the same force that her flaw compelled her to tell the truth. "All right, you can stay. But just know that I warned you..."
She nodded slightly without lifting her head.
That's when Sunny remembered the most important thing. "... but you still haven't answered some of my questions. May I know what you were doing in my bed?"
"Business..." Telle said quietly.
'Ah, that word'. Some things clicked into place in her mind. Not because he was a fortune teller or anything like that, but because that word was linked to a certain little person obsessed with income. So that word just stimulated his mind, giving him the answer to his questions and confirming some assumptions.
He squeezed his hand, subtly crushing Telle's hand, and with the other he held her shoulder. "Everything is fine now, Lady Telle. Did Aiko put things in your head? Did she force you to do something unpleasant? Gods, if so, I will have a serious talk with her."
Above her was the figure of Sunny holding her firmly, with the intention of protecting her. That blew Telle's mind. She lifted her head slightly, revealing her flushed face and trembling eyes.
"It's all right. Miss Aiko has been very welcoming to me. I came back on my own accord."
His distress did not cease despite Telle's words. He had no intention of doubting her, but knowing Aiko, he was not sure. The anguish was reflected in the tension on his face.
Finally, he sighed. "Couldn't she at least have given you something more decent to wear?"
Deep down, Sunny suspected what Aiko's intentions were with all this, but that didn't mean he would simply let himself be carried away. However, there was a spark inside him that contradicted him. The spark was not difficult to suppress, but it remained there insidiously. It had been there a few times, sometimes noticeable and sometimes not, but this particular time it refused to go out.
Even so, it was not big enough to really influence him.
He stood up, separating himself from Telle. He let go of her hand and turned towards the forge, and in the middle of the turn, he spun around.
"You can sit in that chair over there," he said, pointing to the chair where he had been sitting before.
He resumed walking, only to stop after a few steps. He stood there. His throat stung, forcing him to swallow. The warmth in his hand had slowly disappeared since their hands parted.
'Did we just hold hands? ... How indecent, gods, I really am a predator ...' He shook his head vigorously.
He had to resist the urge to slap himself in the face. 'I'm really thinking a lot of nonsense today, more than usual. Just concentrate on finishing that damn piece of metal.'
For the sake of his mental state, he tried to ignore Telle's presence, who had slumped in her chair with her heart beating audibly to him. Apparently, she had also noticed their previous interaction. He resumed his preparations to strike the blade and shape it for the third time today. To his satisfaction, it was faster than all the previous times.
'Please let this be the last time.' He picked up the hammer and proceeded to strike the blade.
The loud noise snapped Telle out of her initial nervousness. She found some relief in being ignored and, on the other hand, a hint of an unrecognisable feeling at the same time. But she had no choice but to stay there. She had a few difficult hours ahead of her.
Sunny decided to make the healthy decision to partially ignore Telle. Although he had no real evidence that she had returned here for anything other than Memories, perhaps it had nothing to do with anything intimate.
He had considered that idea, of course, the idea that his mind had already been disturbed in some way and he was just misinterpreting the situation. However, he was inclined to think that her intentions were different. The events of the past season had made him suspicious.
But if that were the case, if she had returned here with impure intentions, did it really matter?
If he wanted to, he could give in to his carnal desires after the slightest hint of insinuation from Telle. Aiko herself had sent her here, and if she wanted to, what was the problem? Why would he refrain from spending time with a beauty of Telle's calibre? He himself had been attracted to her just now. In fact, not long ago, he had accepted Beth, which was a similar situation, although clearly not the same.
'Why would I want to add another problem to my personal life? Not that she is a problem herself, of course. In fact, I even feel that I owe her in a way. It's just that if I let myself go, I'll fall into Aiko's convoluted ideas. They don't even ask for my consent for something like this! So I refuse to let myself go just like that. I refuse to give in. Even if they throw a beautiful princess into my arms, completely at my disposal... and extremely cute... too... Concentrate, damn it!'
Suddenly, the hammering grew louder than it should have been. That spark he felt when Telle entered was growing and bothering him more and more. Apparently, just by thinking about her. The heat from the forge began to make him sweat again, but now that suffocating heat was competing with a different one that ran through his body.
Discreetly, his gaze drifted to where Telle was sitting. She had placed the chair right where it fit with the table where the large sack of gold was, which he had covered with a black blanket made of shadows to avoid being distracted again. He appreciated her face.
She seemed calmer, but still had a slight blush, perhaps due to the stifling heat of his work. But he didn't stop there. He focused his gaze on her cleavage, also giving her entire figure another quick once-over.
His tongue tingled. 'That outfit is really powerful, I admit it, damn it.' He bit his tongue, trying to calm the tingling sensation. He was dismayed at the mere thought of letting himself get carried away again.
'Don't even think about it, damn it! Behave yourself! Think about it carefully. If you let yourself get carried away again now, Aiko will put you in increasingly strange situations. I'm going to have a very serious talk with her afterwards. This is not something that can happen and be accepted just like that!' He forced himself to bury his feelings and concentrated fully on the forge.
On the other hand, Telle, despite having managed to regain her calm appearance, was anything but calm inside. It was true, the heat was scorching. She had sincerely underestimated it. Fortunately, this heat was not enough to make an Awakened like her falter. The heat that was truly dangerous was the heat that ran through her body with such power that it felt like her blood was boiling.
Blushing was inevitable.
The view was simply magnificent. She wished she could die when she felt signs of wetness between her legs. Never in her life had she felt this way about anyone.
Pressuring herself to do this kind of thing... sure, she wasn't a saint or an angel, but she had never felt this way before. Everything was new to her. To complicate matters further, she couldn't find a way to interact with Master Sunless. It was simply impossible for her.
It wasn't that she was shy. In fact, her behaviour since arriving at this place had been extremely irregular compared to how she normally was. She had never stood out for her social skills or looks, she considered herself normal in that regard.
But today she seemed to have lost any capacity for a decent social interaction. She even felt as if she had lost her common sense, as if she was being influenced by something stronger. Her heart simply leapt when she saw the man in front of her.
It could have been his profound presence, his physique, perhaps something she didn't really understand, or all of those options together. But looking for the reason right now was of no use to her. She was already here and didn't have the strength to back down.
She decided she would find a way to make things flow somehow. Just thinking about the results made her dizzy. Despite her decision, there she was, sitting and partially hidden behind the convenient mountain on the table.
It served as her emotional refuge. She played with her fingers hesitantly.
The minutes passed and neither of them deigned to speak to each other. Telle's anxiety grew and grew, as did the heat. It seemed to her that she had been sitting in that chair for days. Every second was torture. She hadn't noticed, but at some point her breathing had become deeper and deeper, to the point where she was now panting.
She blamed the stifling heat, ignoring the real reasons. Her hands dropped, pressing against her thighs. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, the heat was already unbearable.
She wasn't overwhelmed by the heat of the forge, but by her own.
'I'm bad, very bad, I'm... I'm...' She prayed to the dead gods not to be judged.
Her right hand slipped between her thighs. The table shielded her from Sunny's view, or so she hoped. But in truth, even if that were the case, her judgement had become clouded enough that she gradually began caring less about being seen. She parted the folds of her robe and let her hand slip inside.
Moisture was the first thing her fingers felt as they touched her intimacy. She felt her crotch throbbing, all of this made her desire increase. Careful not to attract attention, she pressed her fingers against her mound. She barely touched herself, almost like a brush.
Despite the light touch, it was enough to feel relief. Her left hand pressed against her thigh, gripping the fabric tightly. She slowly ran her fingers over the hot, wet surface, rubbing it.
She bit her lip hard, almost drawing blood as she tried to suppress a moan. Even her sensitivity was unusual; nothing about her was normal.
'... I'm definitely a pervert.'
She caressed the slit of the wet cavity with her middle finger. Her legs pressed together. A tingling sensation arose from within her, demanding to be relieved. Unable to bear it any longer, she inserted her finger inside her and caressed her insides.
She almost fell apart right there.
Even so, she continued. Her finger delved into her flesh, giving herself pleasure.A wave of raw pleasure shot through her like lightning, forcing her to lean forward. She was too absorbed in her little act to pay attention to anything else.
She half-opened her eyes and saw that Master Sunless still seemed unaware of her activity. She let out a gasp of relief… and something else.
She stared at him intently, everything about his figure somehow compelled her to behave this way. She adored those sculpted muscles that seemed to be carved from stone to perfection.
In her opinion, there was nothing about his entire figure that was not perfect or beautiful. Without taking her eyes off him, she continued to caress herself.
Her legs trembled and pressed together.
Despite putting all her effort into silencing herself and repressing her voice, small moans of satisfaction were beginning to escape her moist lips. Little by little, she lost interest in preserving her dignity, as if what she was doing took priority over maintaining her image.
Soon, the single finger doing the work began to be insufficient. So without thinking twice, she inserted her ring finger. When she did, her face contorted, losing all composure.
A moan escaped her lips completely.
Her gasps became more and more noticeable, and the heat only grew and grew. The sound of metal clashing had completely subsided a few moments ago, but Telle had not noticed, or rather, she did not care. With her other hand, she pressed herself against her chest, seeking support.
She was overwhelmed by the strong sensations: the heat of the forge, her own heat, the unusual pleasure she felt. All of this was so intense that nothing else mattered to her anymore.
She kept her eyes fixed on Sunny's body.
He was holding himself up by grabbing the anvil. On impulse, she wanted to see Sunny's face, his expression. Her gaze moved up his collarbone, appreciating his neck and then his face. His eyes penetrated her deeply, more than any sword could.
She gladly let herself be pierced.
She held his gaze, she was smiling foolishly. Telle didn't know when that smile had appeared, but it gradually faded with every second they maintained eye contact.
"Lady Telle? May I ask what you are doing?" His face wore a complicated expression.
The movement between her legs stopped, and her expression of satisfaction disappeared. Her face contorted, but this time with fear and growing anxiety.
Finally, her jaw dropped.
The girl froze at the question. No muscle in her body deigned to react, she didn't even blink.
By that time she was already sweating, but another wave of sweat, this time cold, began to pour from her pores.
"I-it's just so hot." It came out tremulously from her wet lips.
Both Sunny and Telle swallowed audibly.
"Well... yes, it is hot..." said Sunny, looking down.
"Y-yes..." Telle was sinking into panic and remorse. Her stomach churned and shivers ran down her spine.
Sunny's heart was pounding in his chest like a drum. It became increasingly difficult for him to suppress the sparks inside himself.
'I can't believe it's about to happen again... What am I? An animal? I mean, technically I am an animal, in theory. Cellular organisation: eukaryotic and multicellular. Heterotrophic nutrition, because I don't photosynthesise even if they leave me in the sun like a sad plant. Coordination and response to stimuli... Well, I do respond, the problem is how I respond. Reproduction... I'm fighting against that... What the hell am I thinking about this now? And since when do I know this information? For the dead gods' sake, think something meaningful today, Sunless'.
Unlike the Rain incident, which still gnawed at Sunny's mind, this time he wasn't struggling with his impulses. It would take a lot more time to get to feel that kind of hunger.
'I'm not a bloody playboy, damn it. Who said I consented to anything like that? If I just let myself go, Aiko will get her way... What will she be capable of doing next? Breathe and keep your composure. Nothing can make you lose your composure now.'
With strong resolve, he looked up again. In front of him was the image of Telle, sweaty, panting, with her hand between her legs and that lost look in her eyes. The hem of her robe had shifted, and with every deep breath she took, more and more skin was revealed. Her cleavage was almost completely exposed by this point.
He closed his eyes and clenched his fists.
'... But damn it! She can't be this cute! This is too difficult...'
By this point, the sparks had quickly turned into a fire. The sound of metal bending snapped him out of his trance. He looked down and saw that the anvil beneath him was bent and dented where he had placed his hands.
A wave of fear washed over him. 'No! Damn it, ah, this wasn't easy to fix quickly!'
Before he had the luxury of cursing out loud, he grabbed the bent metal again and moulded it with his hands as if it were clay. The anvil did not regain its original shape, but it was still functional if you were to ignore the small details that had formed on the sides, such as the bends near the edge.
'Ah... it is what it is, I suppose.'
He looked up and Telle was no longer in his chair, she was now standing closer to the entrance than to his seat. But he wasn't moving, he was staring at the floor. His hands trembled as they were squeezed tightly.
"I'm so sorry... I'm not like that..." Her voice sounded completely broken, almost without strength. Her shoulders shook visibly.
After a moment of resistance, her sobs began to form into tears. "B-but please don't hate me."
Now it was her legs' turn to tremble. She lost strength in them and her legs gave way, causing her to fall. Her knees did not touch the floor. Arms caught her and held her up.
Sunny appeared out of nowhere and caught the girl, holding her by the shoulders. The girl had collapsed and her face fell onto a soft, cushioned surface. She fell right onto Sunny's chest.
Surprised by the sudden sensation, her crying stopped. She regained some strength in her legs, enough to pull away and see what had stopped her from falling to the floor.
When she saw that it was Master Sunless, her heart skipped a beat and froze.
Sunny's expression, which had been complicated a few moments ago, had vanished. Now he looked relaxed. The eyes with which he looked at the girl were full of understanding.
"It's okay," he said softly.
With his hands holding her by the shoulders, he helped her up. Unintentionally, he brought her closer than necessary.
Telle let herself be manipulated without protest.
Now they were face to face. Their breaths mingled due to their closeness. The crying, at least, ceased momentarily.
He released one of the girl's shoulders and brought his free hand to her face, wiping away the tears that were still falling from her cheeks.
"Gods... have you even looked at yourself? How could I possibly hate you?" His voice was low, but not low enough to be a whisper.
Telle narrowed her eyes, trying to hold back the new tears that threatened to spill."I don't know... I don't even understand myself since I've been here... everything is wrong and I'm the worst..."
She said, looking away, unable to meet his eyes.
"I just know that the idea of you hating me hurts my chest..." She whispered.
This last remark was the last straw for Sunny. At that moment, he could have rejected her even if she had offered herself to him in the most shameless way but what broke down his resistance was the tenderness of her remorse.
The sweet tears that fell from her ashamed face were the best way to appease the flames inside him that demanded wild abandon. Finally, he succumbed to her timid words that captivated his heart.
Unable to contain himself any longer,he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, giving her a firm hug in which he poured out all his emotion and affection. To him, Telle was like a kitten or a puppy.
She made him feel so tender that his brain had to balance his emotions with opposing feelings, otherwise he might lose his mind.
"I don't hate you, or anything like that at all! Did you need to hear that? Well, there you go..." The hug lasted a minute.
It lasted as long as it had to, and after satisfying his desire to hug her and — at the same time — try to comfort her, he let her go. He held her by the shoulders again.
She, who had been looking down, raised her head. Now it was not grief or sadness that her eyes expressed, but pure emotion, perhaps too much. Her lip trembled, and she finally had the strength, or perhaps the courage, to look him in the eyes.
She was blushing, blushing deeply.
"... Are you feeling better?" A gentle smile touched her lips.
"Or would you like me to hug you a little longer?" Sunny asked, stroking her shoulders.
She giggled. "Yes, I'm feeling better... but I wouldn't mind another hug..."
Sunny's smile widened and she giggled too. As a result, the corners of the girl's lips curved very slightly into a smile. Each had different feelings and thoughts, but if there was one thing they were in tune with, it was that they were enjoying the closeness.
Sunny closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Ahhh... I accept defeat. I guess Aiko really does know how to do things right, after all."
He opened his eyelids and fixed his gaze on the golden eyes that were so full of emotion. "Miss Telle, do you know that I could devour you with kisses right now?"
She trembled and her smile disappeared. Her beautiful sun-like eyes fluttered and her blush grew deeper and deeper. Her reaction only fuelled the same fire that her tears had quenched.
"And I'm going to be forced to do just that now. I'm sorry to be so bold, but I found it impossible not to. You have only yourself to blame for being so sweet."
No sooner had he said that than he caressed her right cheek gently. He took a strand of hair that was covering her face and tucked it behind her ear. He saw her breathing deepen and her eyes convey her nervousness.
His other hand slid from her shoulder to the nape of her neck. He looked at her fervently, with desire, but not as a piece of meat.
On the contrary, there was only a desire to give her what he had come to seek in this pretty girl. He leaned forward slowly, also pushing the girl slightly from behind.
Their faces were close together and their lips were only centimetres apart. He gave her space to take things in and reject him if she didn't want him. It was the least he could offer her in the way of courtesy.
Telle closed her eyes tightly but relaxed the muscles of her lips, which was the signal to move forward. Without wasting any more time, he pressed his lips to hers in a kiss.
Although clumsy on her part, it was still tender, charged with emotion from both of them. They both felt the captivating softness of each other's lips. The moist quality was the final seal and the push they both needed to take the next steps.
Her golden hair passed between his fingers, shining with its own light despite the dim lighting. Following his instincts, he clasped her hair in his fist and pulled her head closer, keeping the kiss steady.
He felt ecstatic.
There was something inexplicable about what he was doing that captivated him. He moved his lips, seeking to deepen the kiss, but along the way it seemed as if he was trying to consume the girl, given the lack of movement offered by the stunned girl.
However, despite her inaction, she did not remain like a doll. She raised her arms and clung to him, grabbing the back of his neck.
Sunny towered over her like a mountain, at least that's how she felt. She was overwhelmed and that caused her to take a step back. She didn't mean to pull away, but it was something unconscious.
Then Sunny took another step and she took another step back. This continued until they were against the wall, with her back pressed against it and him pressing against her. The kiss was intoxicating for her. Inside, she was a mess of intense emotions. Even so, pure joy was what stood out.
Euphoria overwhelmed her even more than Sunny himself. A feeling of urgency arose within her and her lungs began to demand air.
Several more seconds passed until Telle withdrew the hand that was clinging to Sunny's back and forcefully pushed Sunny away, breaking the kiss. Telle gasped for air, while Sunny breathed as if nothing had happened.
When she had taken enough breaths to recover, she looked up at Sunny. He immediately realised his mistake.
"Are you okay? I'm sorry, I got carried away," he said worriedly.
Air rushed in and out of her lungs uncontrollably, just as her heartbeat went wild. She touched her lips. When she did, her eyes trembled as if an earthquake had broken out inside her.
Then her vision darkened as if the lights had been turned off. Now she had lost strength not only in her legs, but in her entire body. She collapsed against Sunny's chest.
He caught her and wrapped his arms around her as he had done at the beginning. "Ah! Miss Telle?! Miss Telle?!"
As she fell into unconsciousness, a fleeting thought managed to slip into her head before she fell completely.
'This is heaven'.