Chapter 399

What do we need to tackle this sweltering heat?

The Earth can endure with inventions like fans and air conditioners, and in this world, there’s magic.

With magic, we can substitute air conditioning, sparing us from suffering every summer.

But unless you’re in a prestigious facility like the Academy, that’s out of reach for the common folks.

Even if they knew magic, if they’re low on magic power, the coolness will naturally vanish.

So, ordinary citizens usually take a plunge in the nearby river or enjoy a refreshing bath instead.

That’s what you call water play. Moreover, water play is one culture that anyone can enjoy regardless of status.

Especially the Tartars, who developed their civilization around long rivers, much like ancient Egypt.

It’s set up for them to love water play above all else. Monsters and beasts lurking in the water? No worries.

“Hey Sivar, can you swim?”

“Nope, I can’t.”

“Then I’ll teach you.”

Kara took my hand and led me deep into the swimming pool. I stared at her bright smile.

She wore a bikini that matched the color of her eyes. The top was nice, but the flowing skirt-like bottom was quite eye-catching.

It revealed her toned thighs while enticingly providing hints underneath. Just looking made my heart race.

Despite the bold exposure, Kara seemed completely unfazed. It showed more skin than her previous dancer outfit.

‘Did they say Tartars dress lightly because of the hot weather…?’

I heard they have no qualms about revealing flesh. Truly a fascinating culture.

On the flip side, I’m an outsider (though I look like a local), so I’m not as exposed.

My shorts were just regular swim trunks, and my top was a simple short shirt. Just an ordinary swimming outfit.

‘At least there aren’t many people around, right?’

In the palace’s swimming pool, and here I am, enjoying water play with a princess.

Usually, there would be guards on standby, but Kara seemed to have splashed them all away. She wanted just the two of us to have fun.

It’s not surprising if rumors start spreading. Yet, Kara seemed indifferent to that.

“Swimming is great for physical training. Especially increases lung capacity.”

“And what about broadening shoulders?”

“Not sure? Just watch me swim.”

– *Splash!*

With that, Kara started swimming. Thanks to her long limbs, she glided through the water effortlessly.

I watched her intently. The contrast of the cool water against the scorching heat made me feel drowsy.

While I spaced out for a moment, Kara had circled back. She got out of the water and spoke to me.

“How’s it? Easy?”

“Yeah.”

“You weren’t really watching, were you?”

How did she know? I blinked and looked up at her.

From her strong thighs to the abdominals that drew attention. A delightfully ample bust.

Kara swept back her wet hair, and her beauty mixed with a strange allure even under her armpits.

Nothing was lacking. I hung on until now, or else I would have pounced like a beast.

Is it really okay for someone to be this pretty? The impact was on a whole different level than when she wore a dancer’s outfit.

“You may not know this, but it shows all over your face. Especially that silly look.”

– *Poke*

Kara, having swept her hair back, poked my cheek with her finger. The feeling of her damp finger was clear.

“Even if you look expressionless at first glance, I can read everything. After watching you for a year, I know most things.”

“I see.”

“And what about me?”

“You are super pretty.”

“Hahaha!”

When I answered honestly, Kara laughed boisterously and gestured for me to stand up.

Learning to swim isn’t a bad idea either.

Once I showed my willingness to learn, Kara taught me with all her heart. Occasionally, she would slyly touch my body.

I couldn’t tell if it was intentional or just a part of learning to swim.

“Kara?”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

She was intentional. Just a glance at Kara’s sneaky grin made me stop asking.

Honestly, it’s hard to be disinterested when a beauty like Kara shows affection. In fact, it’s more of a problem because I like it too much.

Right now, I’m trying my best to hold back. It’s hard to restrain myself to avoid an awkward situation.

‘Rize said I should hold it in.’

If even one of the women gets pregnant, it would be a disaster. Rize had warned me about that.

Even if it happens, I’ll use protection, but now’s not a good time. I have a mountain of tasks ahead.

“Are you getting the hang of it now?”

“Yeah.”

“You look like you’ve lost all your energy.”

Well, it’s your fault for teasing me, Kara. I grumbled internally.

Could she read my mind? Kara chuckled and poked my cheek again.

Feeling grumpy, I turned my head slightly, which made her laugh even more. I felt completely awkward.

“Water play is refreshing, right?”

“Yeah, but how do you maintain this?”

“The design was done from the time the palace was built, so there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

I had a friendly exchange with Kara, bonding over various topics. Though we had already expressed mutual feelings.

However, with the wide exposure of her outfit, I couldn’t help but glance.

– *Swipe*

Then Kara grabbed my face and turned me toward her. I faced her directly.

Instead of her usual refreshing smile, Kara wore a soft smile. A smile dripping with feminine charm.

“Kara?”

“If you’re going to creepily stare, then just look openly. You might end up with poor eyesight.”

In this case, my gaze was bound to wander down. I struggled to suppress the wandering eyes.

Did my struggle amuse her? Kara found it silly and burst into laughter.

“Hehe, really… you’re just too cute. You’re all big like a bear, but the way you act is just clumsy. You’re basically just a big cat.”

“Um…”

I scratched my head awkwardly. I think I’ve heard something similar from others before.

No matter what trouble I caused, they said I was like a cat one couldn’t hate. An animal favored for its cuteness.

Well, if I think about it, I’m more like a tiger than a cat. Such pointless thoughts crossed my mind.

“Sivar.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m glad to have met you.”

Kara spoke to me in a warm voice. Even the cold water couldn’t mask the warmth radiating from her.

I gazed straight at Kara, who smiled gently. Her green eyes dripped with affection.

– *Swipe*

A slight sensation was felt in the hand submerged in water. When I lowered my head, I noticed Kara had cautiously intertwined her fingers with mine.

I had no intention of resisting either. Slowly, I grasped her hand.

Perhaps because they were submerged in water, I couldn’t feel any roughness. They felt soft and squishy.

The warmth that couldn’t be overshadowed even by the coldness was a bonus. My heart warmed with her warm hand.

“Suddenly, I find myself thinking. What would have happened to me without you? I probably would have lost my mind and been continuously disciplined.”

“Who knows?”

“Thinking about it is truly ironic. I’m not an uncivilized person nor from the wilderness, yet I have so much to learn.”

“You mean I’m better than that guy. Is that what you’re saying?”

One year ago at the academy’s freshman banquet, Kara confessed to me. Not a love confession, but more like a sort of confession of sins.

Kara who scorned the ‘barbarians’ saw something in them to make her question what was better.

But seeing me, someone from the wilderness, she found solace, thinking I’m better than that guy.

Even if she didn’t realize it, she had unconsciously boxed herself into the ‘barbarian’ label, leading to her self-loathing.

“Yes. After that, I reflected on myself. Do you know what conclusion I reached?”

“What?”

“I like you a lot. No, I love you.”

– *Peck!*

As she said that, Kara kissed me. It wasn’t a usual kiss.

– *Mwah! Mwah! Smooch!*

“Mmm… Mmm…”

Just like Eli, it was a long and deep kiss. Kara closed her eyes and savored my lips.

The grasp of our hands tightened. I acted in line with what she desired.

We held each other tightly, intertwining our tongues to affirm our affection. It was as if we were about to escalate things.

– *Drip*

Finally, our tongues separated. A long, thin silver line connected us as we pulled apart.

Kara’s face was flushed, as if it could burst at any moment. Her once bright green eyes were now hazy.

“….Sivar.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you… like me?”

A confirmation question regarding my feelings. It was quite contrary to her usual carefree demeanor.

Kara is a warrior before being a woman. Even though she acts freely, she probably wants the assurance each time.

Having returned to her homeland, and with rare chances to be alone, perhaps she was seizing this opportunity to confess her true feelings.

I stared into her eyes. She was nervously chewing her lips since I didn’t respond.

Slowly, I opened my mouth. The lingering scent of Kara filled my senses.

“No.”

“….”

When I voiced a negative response, Kara flinched. Her eyes even trembled at the same time.

It probably deviated far from the answer she had expected. But my answer doesn’t end here.

“I love you.”

“S-Sivar…?”

“As much as you love me, Kara.”

Hearing my answer, Kara momentarily went blank, then broke into a smile. That was when her expression finally brightened.

Following that, she poked my cheek with her finger, playfully scolding me with a soft tone.

“You little rascal. What kind of books have you been reading that made you pick up such mischief?”

“I just thought of it myself.”

“Then that’s even worse. A bad kid deserves some punishment… What should it be?”

Kara whispered, gently trailing her hand across my chest. By the way, her intertwined fingers didn’t change.

As she slowly pressed her body against mine, her assets, which were already hard to ignore, squished against me.

What should I do in this situation? My lower half was already pooling with blood, making it hard to control.

Luckily, Kara was only focused on my face, so she might not realize it. Or maybe she already knows.

‘This isn’t good. If this keeps up, it’ll be a serious issue.’

[Faith is rising!]

The faith rising unnecessarily was ignored. While one is having a hard time, the other is having a good time.

What is Gulrak doing? Is he just watching while his favored priestess succumbs to some guy?

“K-Kara?”

“What?”

“Isn’t this different from how Eli acts frequently?”

“Well, yes, but…”

At least when Eli did, she was wearing clothes. Not just a bikini that’s practically underwear.

I was taken aback by her behavior, but it wasn’t particularly unexpected. Kara’s personality had always been laid-back.

In fact, this behavior suited her character perfectly. She might have refrained before because of her surroundings.

“Hehe, I’ll stop the teasing here.”

“Really?”

“I need to hold back too. I don’t want to engage in such acts in a place like this, especially with the saintess’s words lingering.”

Fortunately, Kara had not been surrendered to her instincts either. She slowly distanced herself from me.

Soon after, she stood up and headed out of the pool. It seemed she wanted to wrap up our water play.

While I blankly admired her beautiful back, Kara turned her head, questioning with a raised eyebrow.

“Aren’t you leaving too? Do you want to stay?”

“I-I mean…”

“Why? Oh, come on…?”

Did she realize something by seeing my flustered state? Kara smiled mischievously.

It was a grin that was both blatant and flirtatious. An obvious sign that she was aware of my embarrassment.

“Are you standing up?”

I hung my head in rising embarrassment and answered.

Unlike usual, my voice weakened from the humiliation.

“….Yeah.”

Somehow, did she hear me? Kara burst into laughter. Her laughter echoed throughout the pool.

Then she came closer, speaking in a reassuring tone.

“You don’t need to be shy about it. Of course, you’d react like that seeing my body.”

“Is… is that okay?”

“Yeah. Our country’s clothes are meant to be light, right? I can understand.”

“Then…?”

I mustered the courage to step out of the pool. Once I did, Kara’s reaction was…

“….What?”

Initially filled with doubt.

“Huh? What? What is this?”

Next, denial.

“Hiiih!”

And finally, sheer shock.

“Get back in!”

“Why? Why?”

“Just get back in! You’re not going to flaunt that monstrous thing like this?! You have to be more sensible!”

I was at a loss about what to do. I muttered in frustration and stepped back into the water.

Meanwhile, Kara was putting on a brave face, doing her best to ignore the heat on her cheeks. Even her ears were red.

“W-Was that about right?”

“….”

Then she bowed her head to compare something. I could hear her quietly muttering.

I do my best to act oblivious. Right now, there was something more pressing at hand.

******

In the East, there’s a saying: birds hear the words spoken during the day, and mice hear the words spoken at night.

Even the smallest rumors eventually reach someone’s ears, as the proverb goes.

“….What? Is that true?”

“Yes. There are tales of Princess Kara enjoying water play with a certain man. Rumor has it he’s an Academy student.”

And that tale found its way into someone’s ear.

The expression of someone who was normally arrogant and haughty was…

“How dare… how dare…!”

“….”

“How dare this man possibly be the future husband of my first wife…!”

His face twisted like that of a demon.

---