"Ah! That's right... it's the first time I've ever done anything like this and-and..."
She began to get more nervous and agitated, which made many things move to my delight, but I had to intervene.
"Calm down, don't worry, it's understandable. Let me help you. But first, if I may ask... why are you covering your beautiful heterochromatic eyes?"
Yes, I was really curious. I mean, she's still covering them. If she's so embarrassed, she should cover the rest.
"Huh? Beautiful? Did you see them?"
Well, when she crashed, she opened them for a moment in surprise and I could see them clearly. I had never seen anyone with eyes like that before and personally I think they were beautiful.
"Hmm, well, yes: I saw one beautiful pink eye and one blue eye."
I wonder if one day I'll be able to awaken some kind of ocular ability that will make me like her — become someone like her. Or maybe an evil god sealed in one of my eyes will change its color? Hehehe, that would be awesome!
Well, anyway. Although she would take it off in a moment, I still took a yukata, helped her up, and started putting it on her while we talked. I thought it was a good opportunity.
"Isn't it strange?"
"Hmm, well, yes, it is."
"（´д｀)"
Oh, now I can put her arms in.
She lowered her hands as if feeling discouraged by my words, so I was able to put her arms into the yukata.
I wonder if heterochromia is a bad thing here?. She seems very conscious of it. Hmm, I think I can use that to my advantage.
"Oh, but I mean, it's strange to see someone with those kinds of eyes. Other than that, they're beautiful. Personally, I liked them."
"R-really?... You're not making fun of me?"
"Why would I?"
"..."
She didn't seem convinced. It seemed like it really wasn't a positive thing, to the point that she took my honest words as sarcasm, but that's a good thing.
"Hmm, you don't seem convinced...! Ah! Look, it's like my hair. Like you said yourself, it's strange, isn't it?"
yes, they're as soft as I thought..... As I thought, contact between girls is more natural.
I finally adjusted her large bust inside the yukata, and even touched it a little, and she didn't even care: she was more focused on our conversation.
"Y-yes, strange among elves, but I didn't mean it was... ah!"
"If you look at it, even though it's strange, I know my hair is beautiful. Or don't you think so?"
"No, in fact, it's very pretty... hmm, it's a deep red that's strange to see."
She understands me. When I chose it, I really didn't feel that being a redhead would be enough. This is a good color.
"And that's what I think of your eyes. Hasn't anyone ever told you that before? How beautiful they are?"
"N-no, you're the first. To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed."
"Eh, really? That's strange. Well, that's it. Okay, come on-. Oh!, by the way, is it okay to ask your name?"
"Ah, yes... my name is Amarillys. Kiber—no, just Amarillys."
"Oh, what a beautiful name. Mine is Iris."
"Iris... that's a pretty name too."
"You know, Amy? Even though we just met, I feel like we'll get along really well. Even beyond a client and a massage therapist, oh! I know what it is, maybe we were friends or something more in a past life... it's like fate. It's okay if we become friends now, right?"
"Y-yes... that would be... nice."
Hee~ you're so shy, cute Amy. I know what I'm going to do with you.
Well, gathering everything I know and understand about this beautiful, slightly clumsy, and shy woman, I still have a few things to confirm, but I think I see the way forward.
Now I have two possible routes: one is a happy ending with Astar and the other with Iris, but either one starts with a pure and sincere friendship between two women who are very much in love with their husbands.
Here begins this dramatic work called {The Flower, the Snake, and the Withered Oak}, a simple but beautiful story where difficult things must be done for the greater good, and where we learn that love and longing can come in many forms.
..
.
"So, Amy, tell me a little about yourself and your relationship with your husband. I understand that you love and appreciate him very much, something to be admired, but tell me other things about him... like things you both like in common or things you don't like him to do."
"Huh!?... Is that necessary?... I don't know if..."
Finally, we went to the tub. And seeing that the yukatas were comfortable and thin, she ended up getting in with him.
It didn't really matter, since the salts and everything else made the water cloudy, and I couldn't see anything anyway.
At that moment, I was putting the face mask on her while I started asking her about her husband.
I started doing it again, under the influence of the skills. They're so easy to use that I don't know why I didn't use them with Azalea when I was convincing her.
But I understand that part of me is wary of relying on something like that, and their use is somewhat semi-instinctive rather than rational... more of a feeling that you're using them. But now, with Iris, it was much easier and more natural.
It was time to get information out of her, even though she didn't seem willing to talk to me about her husband.
"You know, Amy, not all clients come for their own issues. Sometimes they come on behalf of a friend who is in a complicated relationship."
"A friend? I don't have... Oh, yes, a friend, that's it. Yes, I remembered that a friend of mine—who is not you, because obviously I have more friends—needs advice more than I do."
"(/_ \)...That's great, I don't mind giving that friend advice."
Honestly, I'm having a hard time figuring out if she's really naive or if she's playing along, but what she said made me feel sorry for her, because it was clear what it implied.
Don't worry, Amy. Whatever happens, I'll be your friend... although it remains to be seen what kind of friends we'll be, huehuehue.
"W-well, my friend and her husband have a bit of a complicated relationship."
I finished putting the mask on her and began to massage her shoulders gently, starting to relax her. That would make her more likely to talk.
"Oh, is that so? In what way? Does your friend not like her husband or something?"
"No! It's not like that. She loves him very much, it's just that her husband is... how can I put it... a little dry?"
"Oh, I think I understand what you mean. You know, my honey is like that too. He has a hard time expressing himself and rarely shows real affection. Even so, I know he loves me very much; he's very sweet in his own way."
What is this? It's like I'm badmouthing myself., but at the same time he's not. I feel embarrassed but at the same time understanding... I think I won't talk much about either of us; if something goes wrong, I would risk dividing us.
"Really? But how can you be so sure he loves you?"
"Hmm, maybe because I've known him since we were kids... or female instinct. But your... friend, what do you think she thinks about her husband's unemotional way? Does she feel it's because he's dishonest or is there another reason?"
"Hmm... She doesn't know. Honestly, over the years and after we had our three—I mean, after she had her children , he became more and more like that."
Oh, so you have children... and there are three of them. Well, that doesn't stop me. I'll be an excellent stepmother... stepfather? Both, hehehe.
Well, I'm liking where this conversation is going. I noticed it before, but her relationship with her husband did have a problem, as she seemed desperate to somehow get his attention.
"Oh, I see... so your friend wants to rekindle the passion, although it's a shame."
"What!? Isn't there anything we can do?"
"No, it would just be good if you brought her in. If she received my massages and beauty treatments, like you are doing, it would help her."
"Haaah~ you scared me... yes, maybe you're right. But what do you think my friend should do to make her husband more loving and have him at her feet, like you do?"
"...Well, that depends a bit. Tell me more. Tell me how your friend and her husband met, and who confessed their feelings first, and how compatible they are in bed."
"Huh?... Well, it was an arranged marriage, but he was so manly, so cool... and honestly, it was love at first sight... for my friend. And she was the one who confessed her love after they got married."
"Oh, an arranged marriage?... Well, if she liked him so much, it could well have been fate for her."
"Yes! I think so too. You really understand me!"
"Well, as I said, I think we're destined to be friends too. So, about the bed, how is it? Sometimes that can be the real problem."
"Hmm, I don't know, I think they're fine... I don't think that's the problem."
"Well, let's rule that out. he must be a tiger in bed who leaves you very satisfied, otherwise it would be an obvious problem or complaint."
"How did you know he was a tiger? and what does that have to do with sleeping?"
"Huh!? No, when I talked about bed, I was referring to, well, sex."
"Haah! You're talking about when we make babies. Yes, that also went very well, we even had three."
Did she forget we were talking about a friend? No, more importantly, the way he said it and his tone... there's something wrong, because it sounded nostalgic... could it be?
"Um, Amy, by any chance, when was the last time they had... no, when did they make babies?"
Because of that thought, which if I had to say it from my perspective, was illogical, I had to ask him that, and in that way, I felt a strange premonition, there was something fundamental that I was overlooking.
"Hmm? When was that? He said it wasn't necessary anymore, so... hmm, oh, yes, it's my daughter's age. So about 20 years ago."
"w(ﾟДﾟ)w"
"But I don't think that has anything to do with it, because when I'm allowed to, it's nice to sleep next to him, and sometimes he even hugs me, ah! And if I have a complaint, you know, sometimes the others get between us and even push me out of bed."
"Th-that's... Amy, I think I've been asking the wrong questions. First, could you tell me a little bit about your...her family situation and its members?"
That took me by surprise. Apparently, I hadn't understood her situation correctly, and I think I need to rethink more than one thing.