The Darkness was Comfortable for me

Having lost sight of Jeanne-san, I decided to return to the residence.

She did say she would be staying at an inn, so there’s no need to go out of my way to search for her and bring her back.

She is already an adult, and this was what she chose.

“Now then, we are alone now, so I would like to think a bit more about what we will be eating. We can drink some alcohol, and…fufu…” (Rifreya)

My mouth ended up loosening there.

At the time when I had fallen in love with Hikaru just recently, I was burning with the desire to attack boldly.

I wanted to be together with him forever, wanted to stick to him at all times, and wanted to make our relationship into an even sturdier one.

I think I was being way too merry about my first love.

I wasn’t properly thinking about the circumstances of Hikaru, and I didn’t know how to restrain my own feelings.

That’s how I was, but after separating from him once, I calmed down a bit.

It is not like my feelings for him have diminished. The fire inside of my chest is still burning bright red.

After reuniting with him and living together with him, I have not tried to approach him on the surface.

I did try to get touchy without arousing suspicions, and that in itself was fun, but the eyes of Jeanne-san were present.

…I have also tried roundabout approaches and seductions, but you could say he didn’t fall for them at all, but…well, leaving that aside, it has been a while since we had a night alone. I want to make this an important one.

…Hm?

(That’s…girmina tea!) (Rifreya)

At a street stall in the market on my way back, I found a certain rare tea leaf being sold.

A girl from my former party who has already returned to her hometown showed me this tea and said: “It works really well, you know?”. That leaf shaped in a peculiar manner -there’s no doubt about it.

It apparently gets the man…into the mood with just one cup…

(But…what should I do…?) (Rifreya)

“One bag of this.” (Rifreya)

“Alright. Young lady, do you know how you drink this?”

“Ah, yes. It is okay. It is okay.” (Rifreya)

“It is a strong tea after all. Be careful, okay?”

(…No matter how desperate I am, making him drink that is a bit… I decided to close the distance slowly and all, but…) (Rifreya)

“Hah?!” (Rifreya)

At some point in time, my hand was holding the girmina tea.

I do remember speaking with the stallkeeper, but…oh well, there should be no issues.

At any rate, to think it would cost 12 silver. What a price.

I thought inside my heart to not rely on something like this, but I already bought it.

In the first place, this tea is apparently tasty as a simple tea anyways… Alright.

I didn’t know about its effects!

I bought it without knowing!

I unknowingly bought it and will be drinking it together with him!

No problem!

There’s no problem, but I guess I will clean up my body before Hikaru comes back…

◇◆◆◆◇

“Where’s Jeanne?” (Hikaru)

“She still hasn’t come back, but I think she will come back eventually. Well, let’s drink some tea while we think about what to do.” (Rifreya)

At the time when I had washed up, changed my clothes, and was heating the water, Hikaru had come back.

He took quite a bit of time to come back, so he must have been searching for Jeanne-san on his own.

I pour 2 cups of girmina tea and place them on the table.

A slightly stimulating scent like that of spice.

By the way, this tea apparently not only shows its effects on men but women as well.

I tasted it a bit just a few moments ago, and contrary to its scent, its taste was pretty refreshing and easy to drink.

Him sitting at the chair with both elbows on the table while groaning, looking somewhat drained, reminds me of the time when I first met Hikaru.

His slightly long glossy hair was down, and was giving off a hard to describe seductiveness.

He brought the cup up with his delicate fingers, and his slightly chapped lips welcomed it.

The calm Hikaru as of recently was nice, but the Hikaru with a shadow of grief is also great.

It makes me want to push him down and make a mess out of him—

Oops, it seems like the girmina tea is showing its effects already.

Calm down…

Calm down…

“It is a taste I haven’t had before… Was there something like this in the house?” (Hikaru)

“I bought it just now. When I lost sight of Jeanne-san, I bought this at the market.” (Rifreya)

“I see. It is a taste that makes my body feel warm all over.” (Hikaru)

Hikaru doesn’t know much about this world.

Of course he wouldn’t know about the girmina tea…or more like, even if he had drunk it sometime before, I would have had to deceive him somehow, but it seems he doesn’t.

Or more like, I am the one who usually buys the tea, so I did have an idea that he wouldn’t know.

Well, even if that’s not the case, there’s a lot of types being sold in the market. I normally buy slightly fancy bean tea, but I buy them completely out of my own taste.

I was drinking that the whole time in my home after all.

That said, the girmina tea…is actually pretty tasty…

Just like Hikaru said, it makes my body feel warm all over, and the scent is kind of addicting…

Because of the effects it has, we can’t really make this a regular drink though.

“Was Jeanne…angry?” (Hikaru)

“Eh?” (Rifreya)

I was thinking about the tea, so I couldn’t tell what he was saying for a moment there.

What a dangerous tea. Wouldn’t it be the strongest if paired with alcohol?

I brought the chair to the side of Hikaru and sat by his side.

For a second, Hikaru made a face of ‘why?’, but I ignored it.

“She might have been a bit angry, but…I would say it was more confusion than anything. You know, you have agreed with practically everything Jeanne-san says, right?” (Rifreya)

“Agreed with everything, you say… That’s not true.” (Hikaru)

“It is. At the very least, you have never rejected her. Even though you were so stubborn when it was with me!” (Rifreya)

“…I am sorry about that, but it couldn’t be helped. I owe Jeanne a debt I doubt I could ever repay.” (Hikaru)

While we were talking, I pressed my body to Hikaru’s.

I am wearing clothes that are really opened up in the chest area today. When I pressed my breasts onto his arm, his face got a bit flushed. This is so fun.

I was told this by Jeanne-san, that in the original world of the Chosen, there are a lot of men who love this.

In that case, there’s no reason not to use this hand.

Hikaru blushed slightly, but it seems he is still maintaining his composure.

Is the tea going to show its effects anytime now?

“What should I do…?” (Hikaru)

Hikaru muttered this.

He faced down and seemed to be troubled.

What to do, you ask? Maybe we should be moving to the room?

But bringing him to the 2nd floor like this would be embarrassing. We should heat it up a bit more here, before doing that.

There’s still a lot of time in the day left after all.

“…What do you want to do, Hikaru?” (Rifreya)

That’s why I made that teasing question.

Hikaru is a man too.

I know that you take peeks at me when I am wearing thin clothes, you know?

“Actually…I know that Jeanne is right. I know this in my head…but I really want to wait for Nanami.” (Hikaru)

“Hm?” (Rifreya)

Eh? A serious conversation?

Was that the mood here?

Isn’t this a turn where you go ‘my body is heating up’?

“…Even if Nanami really has been chosen and has come to this world, I doubt she is the Hell Chosen. As far as I can see in the map, it certainly does look like they are proactively heading here, and the only one showing signs of that seems to be the Hell Chosen, but…they might simply be aiming for this place because it is a big city. The chances of them heading here for the dungeon are higher. There’s no other dungeon around here than Meltia’s, right?” (Hikaru)

“Y-Yeah, that’s true…” (Rifreya)

“At the very least, it is not something worth confronting Jeanne for… It is natural for you to say this would be solved if I just apologize. Haah… I really messed up here…” (Hikaru)

E-Eh?

Doesn’t this feel like the tea isn’t working at all?

Even though it is totally working on me here?

Hikaru was groaning as he let out a sigh.

The body pressing attack is not working much here.

“…Anyways, I will apologize to Jeanne.” (Hikaru)

Hikaru faced forward and said this.

Yup yup, you should just apologize for something like that.

It is pointless to take it so seriously.

More importantly, shouldn’t you look at me?

…That’s not it.

Be calm here, Rifreya.

I am being bewildered by the effects of the tea and my head is going crazy here.

I shake my head and drive away the noise.

For now, it seems like the effects of the girmina tea are not showing here, but the night is still long.

This is still not the time to get flustered.

Let’s be the ally of Hikaru here and pamper him for now. Mother did tell me that gentlemen must be pampered.

Also, I don’t mind whatever happens here anyways. Really.

I don’t mind marrying Hikaru in this city, or go on a journey and marry Hikaru then.

If anything, I think we should move away from Artificial Churches.

Great Spirits loving Loved Ones are the same whether they are Artificial or Natural Churches, but the Great Spirit-samas of Natural Churches that find Loved Ones don’t go out of their way to chase or catch them.

He would get eaten if he were to make a contract with them, but it would be easier to live in than in this city.

Even without a dungeon, it is possible to earn a living by being a bodyguard or mercenary with our gold rank. We could also sell food or something.

I would like 4 kids. Also, if we have them make contracts with the Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire Spirits respectively, we might be able to dive dungeons as a family.

“Ri…Rifreya? Are you okay? You are spacing out here and your face is red.” (Hikaru)

“…Eh? Ah, yes, I am okay. I was just thinking for a bit here.” (Rifreya)

Not good, not good.

“*Cough* Uhm…anyways, I think it would be better to apologize. Let’s apologize at once when she returns. Also, what do we do after that? Leave the city? Stay? Or me?” (Rifreya)

“M-Me…? No, I plan on leaving the city as we agreed after apologizing to her.” (Hikaru)

“Eh? Is that okay with you, Hikaru? You want to wait for your childhood friend, right?” (Rifreya)

“I got stubborn there, but just as Jeanne said, there’s no knowing if it is true or not.” (Hikaru)

“Then, if your childhood friend is really heading here?” (Rifreya)

“If that’s the case, I would want to wait…” (Hikaru)

“Then, isn’t it okay to wait?” (Rifreya)

Why is he trying to match the wants of Jeanne-san?

If he wants to do that, then do it.

That’s all there is to it.

“I think waiting is what you want to do, Hikaru. I understand what Jeanne-san is trying to say here, but just do what you want to do.” (Rifreya)

“But…” (Hikaru)

“There’s no buts here. I am doing what I want here, you know? That’s the same for Jeanne-san. It is only you who hasn’t been able to do as you want. That’s just sad.” (Rifreya)

“Rifreya…” (Hikaru)

“Ah, I will pour more tea for you, okay?” (Rifreya)

Or more like, I have also drunk it all.

It was tasty.

It might be a good idea to make it a regular drink.

It may be unexpectedly good to drink it at the dungeon. It heats you up and I feel like it could help in raising the battle desire.

“…What the Chosen said…might be a lie. It is something that would be discovered as soon as the messages come back. I doubt there’s any point in making a lie that would be discovered in a few days… No, that’s not it. In the end, I simply want to believe that Nanami has come to this world.” (Hikaru)

I listen to what he is saying while putting the tea leaves inside the teapot.

Let’s put a little bit more than before.

“If…if Nanami has come to this world, I want to meet her.” (Hikaru)

“Then, that’s what you want to do, Hikaru.” (Rifreya)

“Is it really…okay for me to do what I want to do?” (Hikaru)

“Of course. I actually think you are holding back too much. Even I didn’t expect nothing to happen despite living together…” (Rifreya)

Oops, I said something unnecessary there.

But I am telling the truth here.

The things about men that the girls from my previous party told me about are really different from Hikaru. It might be because he is from a different world, which makes him different somewhere.

According to them, they are supposed to be the type that would attack you immediately once you are alone with them…

“…I also didn’t expect to live together with you, Rifreya.” (Hikaru)

“But haven’t you gotten used to it already?” (Rifreya)

“Gotten used to it… Did I…?” (Hikaru)

Hikaru laughs vaguely.

I myself feel pretty unsatisfied here.

Maybe that’s the case with Jeanne-san too.

I don’t know what Hikaru thinks of Jeanne-san, but he should love me.

…We did kiss.

Or more like, we have already done it once before, so isn’t it okay to be able to do it as many times as we want?

Alright.

Aah, I am getting excited here.

I refilled the cups and sat back down at the side of Hikaru.

When I pressed my body onto Hikaru, I could feel his cold and comfortable skin.

“H-H-Hikaru, how is it? You don’t have to endure it, you know? Hehehe.” (Rifreya)

“Wa, wait, Rifreya, your body is really hot!” (Hikaru)

“It is the effect of the tea, the tea! I am getting hot.” (Rifreya)

“No no no, it is not on that level!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru is getting flustered here, but it is true that my body feels hot.

Maybe I should take my clothes off already.

“W-What’s this? Is it because of this tea?” (Hikaru)

“What about you, Hikaru? Aren’t your clothes too thick? Let me take them off for you. Here here.” (Rifreya)

“I-It is not hot. Or more like, don’t begin taking your clothes off here! This is definitely weird!” (Hikaru)

“It is simply the tea being too effective. It is okay, it is okay.” (Rifreya)

“There’s nothing okay here! [Item Appraisal]!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru moved his finger in the air and is doing something.

“Hikaru, Hikaru, Hikaru, we haven’t been alone at all since we reunited. Despite how it seemed, I was holding back quite a lot, you know? I don’t think I will be able to endure it anymore. It is the same for you, right, Hikaru? You feel the same way, right?” (Rifreya)

“Woah…! What’s with this tea? You, what did you buy?!” (Hikaru)

It seems like our conversation isn’t in sync here, but I am pushing all in here.

“Now now, who cares what it is. It is just tea.” (Rifreya)

“It is not just tea! Aah, geez, [Dispel]!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru casted some sort of ability, and something seemed to come off from me.

At the same time as this happened, the heat in my body dropped sharply.

Eh…? Did I just turn really weird just now…?

“Did that…work? It seems like, in exchange for activating the Fire Spirit Energy, if anyone aside from Fire Spirit Users drink this tea, they fall into partial frenzy.” (Hikaru)

“F-Frenzy…” (Rifreya)

I only remember that, even though the atmosphere wasn’t about that at all, I was completely getting in the mood all on my own. It remains in my head as if it isn’t even my own memory.

Now that I have woken up as if I was suddenly poured cold water, only the embarrassment remains.

“Aah… A-Aah… I am…going to the toilet for a bit… It looks like I drank too much tea…” (Rifreya)

I couldn’t take it and ran away.

I didn’t expect it to affect me this much.

That said, why did it not work on Hikaru?!

l