Chapter 58

The next morning, the Milky Way faded into the distance, and sunlight gently poured in.

When who knew how many rays of the morning sun fell upon Sheffy Harl’s snow-like skin, it radiated a sacred and serene beauty.

She turned over—

And was instantly struck by a jolt of soreness in her waist and legs like lightning!

“Oww…! It hurts, it huuurts… hurts!!”

“Sheffy?!”

The golden-haired girl, completely unclothed, was startled awake from a sweet dream by the voice. She abruptly sat up and looked around warily.

No danger.

There was only a certain little cutie.

Xiarette, seeing Sheffy lying beside her in the nude and clutching her delicate waist in pain, looked concerned.

—She let out a twisted squeal not unlike that of a piglet about to be butchered!

Could the proud Sheffy Harl possibly tolerate such humiliation?!

She suddenly yanked the shared blanket over them, covering her picturesque body and even burying her head under the covers, leaving only a resentful voice for Xiarette.

“I’m sleep-talking! Going back to bed! Good night!”

“But… but it’s already noon, Sheffy… and still ‘good night’… that sound just now, I really thought a piglet had gotten into the house…”

“Good night!”

“Alright then…”

Even though Sheffy had burrowed back under the covers, trying to catch some more sleep was out of the question.

Because once awake, the memories of last night’s embarrassment naturally came flooding back.

And the more she recalled, the hotter her cheeks became, and the hotter her cheeks got, the more awake she felt. It was a vicious cycle!

Under the blanket, Sheffy couldn’t help but let out soft “mm… ngh…” noises, perhaps a lingering effect of the previous night’s sensations that hadn’t fully faded.

That damned Xiarette… and she even dared compare her to a piglet.

Her waist, her legs! How had they become this sore? Could Xiarette really be that clueless? The true culprit!

—Wasn’t it all because of you?!

Ugh, truth be told, Sheffy could have easily used healing magic to soothe her sore waist and legs back to normal, but she chose not to.

Because… when she thought of the reason why… Sheffy curled up even tighter under the blanket, her face burning, shrinking herself into a little ball of silver hair—like a bashful kitten huddled in a cardboard box, absolutely adorable.

Because… only by holding onto this soreness for now, could she be sure that everything that happened last night had really, truly been real…

Sheffy wasn’t idle under the blanket.

She kept her ears perked, carefully listening for sounds outside.

Hmph… stupid Xiarette, why is there still no sound…

Hurry up and take this chance, while I’m hiding under the covers, to put on your clothes already and cover up those ridiculously exaggerated, all-encompassing oceans of yours!

Xiarette, for the time being, had no intention of getting dressed~

She rested her cheek against her hand with a gentle smile, admiring the “curious blanket” in front of her, curled into an irregular oval.

The blanket didn’t completely cover Sheffy’s dazzling silver hair, which flowed over the velvet pillow like a silky galaxy.

And at the bottom end, one small foot was also peeking out from beneath the covers.

Every so often, the delicate toes would curl slightly, and in Xiarette’s eyes, it was undoubtedly the most exquisite work of art in the world.

Actually, there was another “masterpiece” right here too.

But Xiarette was unlikely to notice it.

Because that “masterpiece” was none other than herself—bathing in the morning sunlight, lovingly and patiently watching over her Sheffy with a smile as she waited for her to wake up.

Not far off on the floor near the door, just beneath the wall clock, two dresses—one wine-red and the other deep blue—were spread out together, like two grand roses in full bloom. The trail of fabric led from there to the edge of the large, soft bed, where various smaller, softer pieces of cloth lay scattered, creating a breathtaking scenic path.

It was worth noting that the state of those fabrics was quite peculiar.

Specifically, they looked as though they’d been soaked in heavy rain—even though it hadn’t rained last night. It had been a clear, moonlit evening.

Still no movement…

Still no movement…!!

Sheffy truly couldn’t take it anymore!!

Even the dead would rise and flip their coffins if pressed too hard! So wasn’t it perfectly reasonable for her to throw off the blanket in a moment of exasperation?!

“Xiarette! I gave you a chance to get dressed, why are you still not dressed?! You…! Oww! My waist…!”

“You okay…? Hmm…? But Sheffy, didn’t you just say ‘Good night’ a moment ago?”

“That was…! Uwah! Shameless!”

Sheffy covered her face with both hands, fingers spread wide, unable to bear looking directly at the bouncing beauty approaching with every step Xiarette took!

Of course, Xiarette felt shy too, but more than anything at this moment, she wanted to reassure Sheffy.

After all, she’d gathered her courage to make that decision… A little morning comfort was necessary, right…?

Xiarette leaned in and, with a rather clumsy motion, placed a gentle kiss on Sheffy’s cheek.

Feeling that soft, jelly-like touch again against her cheek, Sheffy’s body went stiff.

It was as if steam burst from the top of her head!

“Mm…!”

“Hee… I feel like I’ve discovered a whole new side of you, Sheffy.”

“Don’t push your luck… I’m telling you, last night I was just going easy on you. If I had wanted to fight back, you wouldn’t have stood a chance!”

“Yes yes~ if Sheffy says so, then it must be true.”

“Ugh…”

Sheffy, quietly,

used healing magic to soothe her sore waist and legs. She could hardly believe Xiarette hadn’t used any Healing, and yet still moved so effortlessly.

After all, certain things—especially those that happened in bed—had nothing to do with strength. What mattered was sheer resolve.

Xiarette didn’t mind being stared at by Sheffy.

But of course, her sense of shame had its limits too. With Sheffy’s urging—which didn’t even feel like true urging—Xiarette finally had no choice but to pick up her nightgown and slip it on. At the same time, she handed Sheffy her new pure-white nightdress.

Sheffy hurriedly dressed, quickly covering the vast plains with a soft layer of fabric.

With that, both of them, cheeks still flushed, sat facing each other in a duck-sitting posture.

Xiarette gazed lovingly at Sheffy for a long while again. Before Sheffy could bare her little canine tooth and bite her out of shy frustration, Xiarette finally smiled wryly and spoke.

“Sorry… Sheffy, you’re right. Last night, I really did get carried away… I overstepped.”

“Of… of course you did!” Sheffy folded her arms protectively over her chest, let out a humph, and turned her head to the side, avoiding Xiarette’s still-glistening, tender eyes. “You didn’t say a word and suddenly kissed me. And that wasn’t enough—you immediately started stripping my clothes! I thought you were drunk and going wild!”

“Hmm… but Sheffy didn’t stop me.” A shimmer of light flashed in Xiarette’s thoughtful eyes. “Besides… you knew very well, I wasn’t drunk.”

“Tch.”

That click of the tongue meant Sheffy, though prideful, still acknowledged Xiarette’s words.

She certainly knew Xiarette wasn’t acting on drunken impulse.

Xiarette had simply spoken out loud a love that had been brewing for years—a love Sheffy herself hadn’t even realized had taken root.

“Sheffy’s always been avoiding these feelings… because you were worried that if you spoke up and I didn’t feel the same, it would make everything between us awkward, right?”

“No kidding… Who told you to always act like you’re my big sister… Besides, how was I supposed to know you were just as much a beast as me.”

“……”

Sheffy, if you want to insult me, go ahead… but don’t drag yourself into it too, waaah!

To be fair, Xiarette’s interpretation wasn’t entirely accurate.

Before hearing Xiarette’s confession yesterday—those pure words of “just liking”—Sheffy hadn’t even realized her feelings for Xiarette had already… changed.

Feelings were like a paper screen. You think it’s familial affection, but once that screen is pierced, it mutates into something else.

Whether it was Xiarette’s feelings that changed first, or Sheffy’s, was something no one could say for sure.

And neither of them cared to argue about the pointless question of “who fell in love first.”

Because…

This moment’s happiness—that was what mattered most.

Turning their thoughts back to the present.

On the bed, Sheffy and Xiarette knelt face to face. One moment they were bickering, and the next, their fingers were interlocked, their faces unconsciously drawing near again. Unable to resist, they closed their eyes and kissed once more.

All that earlier arguing, the tough front—they were one thing.

But the yearning for each other’s care and the need for reassurance… that was something they couldn’t and didn’t want to suppress.

Bathed in sunlight, this scene appeared sacred and serene. The noisy distractions of the world faded away, leaving only the faint sounds of their breathing.

Even the birds chirping outside the window seemed to fall silent of their own accord, as if afraid of disturbing the peaceful and harmonious beauty unfolding inside.

Unfortunately, the little Holy Sword didn’t have the fortune to witness it.

—Because even before the “battle” began last night, Sheffy had already picked her up and thrown her out the window!

What else was she supposed to do?! She couldn’t very well let a perverted little blade supervise something so embarrassing!

And so, now lying outside in the garden, nestled among flowers and grass, the little Holy Sword Sylatrella was filled with grateful tears for Lady Sheffy! Thank you, Lady Sheffy, for rewarding me from morning till night—you truly are the gentlest and most loving mother I could ask for!

The kiss didn’t last too long. The two gradually and naturally pulled apart.

Leaving a space between them that couldn’t even be called distance.

Hmm… this was dangerous. If they continued kissing, there was a high chance it would spark a “second round” of battle in broad daylight.

And speaking of last night’s battle, Sheffy was still quite indignant…!

Clearly, whether in stamina or agility, she should have had the upper hand. If push came to shove, she could’ve even relied on magic to win!

But once the battle began—

Sheffy realized her thinking had been completely wrong.

All things in the world relied on one word: talent.

At first, both of these dummies had been clumsy, making things evenly matched. But Xiarette was the first to grasp some hidden truths, and once she did, she focused her efforts and launched an all-out assault on Sheffy’s territory, catching her completely off guard.

General Sheffy certainly tried her best to hold the line.

But she soon found that, in such a state, forget about magic—she couldn’t even leverage her physical strengths!

Her stronghold had already fallen under the enemy’s Enchantment Formation!

What made it worse was that Xiarette had a clear advantage in terms of body weight—mountains versus plains. And the plains had no choice but to obediently remain at a lower altitude.

The plains could not cross mountains.

They could not reach the vast skies.

Of course, General Sheffy still had her final line of defense.

She spread her eight wings in an attempt to shield and protect herself, to block the enemy’s assault.

However, the moment her wings unfurled…

General Sheffy regretted it to the core.

What a disastrous tactical error!

Unfolding wings at close range was no different from presenting her weak spots directly to Xiarette.

From that moment on, General Sheffy had no more chances to fight back. With one final kick of her leg, she successfully created a streak of light across the rainless night sky.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep