Lazy Afternoon
Ethan's eyes fluttered open. He lay on a patient bed, staring at the ceiling. 'Did I fall asleep?' the boy wondered. 'What time is it? Where am I? Who am—"
"You're finally awake, Count Cromwell," a bunny girl said, looming over him with a look of concern. Ethan was momentarily baffled by her beauty, still unsure whether he was awake or still dreaming. At this point, his memories flooded back.
He was Ethan Cromwell, the legitimate male heir of Fondel County in the world of Promiscua. He was in the castle's medic bay visiting his sister. The boy's last memories were of a strange encounter with Goldie, the Grand Healer.
Ethan manipulated the bunny girl to let him touch her tail. Unfortunately, the aphrodisiac pheromones released from her rear end drove him into a sex-crazed frenzy. After that, the world turned black.
Ethan sat up bolt upright. "Did I attack you?" he asked Goldie in panic. The last thing he needed was a sexual assault complaint from the Grand Healer. The little brownie points the dutiful son earned from the Countess would be lost.
The boy turned to scrutinize the bunny girl. Her hair was ruffled, and her clothes were creased. Did he seriously try to rape her?
Goldie bit her lip and lowered her eyes. "Yes," was all she said, that too in a pained voice.
"What did I exactly do to you? Please let me know! I remember nothing!" It was weird since aphrodisiacs and pheromones were not supposed to wipe out memories. A piece of the puzzle was missing.
The bunny girl lightly dusted her lab coat and walked over to the nearest cabinet. She retrieved a fresh towel and began wiping her face and hands.
"You groped, licked, and bit me all over…" Goldie finally said. "I have never seen such madness in response to pheromones. It reminded me of the early days in the wild when I fought for survival."
"I didn't mean any of it," Ethan said apologetically. "Are you hurt? What can I do to help?"
The Grand Healer removed her white coat and folded it neatly. For the first time, Ethan had a glimpse of her fantastic bust hiding under a tight shirt. She was characteristically athletic with a coming-of-age body.
Even though Goldie was a healer and scientist who got little exercise, the rabbit genes gave her a naturally good constitution. Moreover, the young wereperson had a background of living in the wild. Raised in comfort, Ethan could only imagine how physically taxing it was to live under such extreme conditions.
"I'm fine, Count Cromwell…" the bunny girl replied. "It wasn't your fault. I should have warned you about my tail's mechanism before letting you touch it. You've never met a wereperson before, anyway. In fact, I endangered your precious life!"
"Did I do something… Umm… Unthinkable?" Ethan posed with uncertainty. "Did I go all the way?"
It was a gentler way of asking, 'Did I rape you?' The bunny girl frowned and lifted her shirt to reveal a toned waist. Ethan could see noticeable bite marks and scratches on her otherwise flawless body. She dabbed her skin with the towel carefully.
"This was the worst you did, Count Cromwell… You were trying to rip off my clothes, but luckily, I had one of these."
Goldie fished into her white pants and retrieved a vial of shimmering blue liquid.
" What is it? A sedative? Is that why I became unconscious?"
The Grand Healer shook her head. "No. It's an antidote to my pheromones. Wererabbits are hunted in the wild for their tails, which are expensive mainly because of their aphrodisiac properties. Wealthy men and women purchase them in the black market at high prices to enjoy elevated sexual experiences."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. If only he could remember the experience of molesting Goldie. What was the point of doing it if it was wiped from his memory?
"Such adventures are often risky," the bunny girl added. "An overdose could be fatal and hence, remedies are necessary. This antidote can dispel the aphrodisiac effects, but a side effect is that it makes the user swoon."
"I see," Ethan said, nodding his head.
Something was off about Goldie's story. First, she claimed the boy forced himself on her—licking, biting, and groping. However, he knew for a fact that his physical strength was lacking to accomplish that.
Ethan did defeat Hilda in one-on-one combat, but he used a system skill to dominate her. In raw physical terms, he was even weaker than his fragile sister, Gwen. Without the ghost hands, he couldn't defend himself against a teenager.
Then the question arose—how did Ethan successfully force himself on Goldie, an athletic wererabbit? Her race was categorically stronger than humans. She was only five feet tall but could have swatted him down like an insect.
The boy chose to keep his thoughts to himself for the time being. "Can the antidote suppress arousal in general? Perhaps in small doses? It would be really helpful to counter the devil's curse. If I can prevent erections, the danger of triggering it will be kept at bay."
Goldie nodded. "That is exactly what I want to experiment on you, Count Cromwell. If you keep your side of the deal, we may find a cure for your condition."
"I see. You must need your privacy right now," the boy said sincerely. "The trauma you faced because of me will need time to heal. I will take your leave, Grand Healer."
The bunny girl quickly placed a furry paw over his hand. "It wasn't your fault, Count Cromwell. Perhaps you had a lot of pent-up sexual energy that needed a release. When you visit tomorrow, perhaps we can talk about it?"
Ethan narrowed his eyes. Goldie was suddenly cavalier about the alleged sexual assault on her. Did she stage everything? What was the Grand Healer hiding? Perhaps the boy could use Grimorium Lustra's revelation spell on her and find out?
"I'll think about it," Ethan replied, turning to leave. Right now, I must head to the castle gardens. My mother invited a couple of teachers to tutor me, and I'm already late for my first class."
Goldie called out from behind with a smirk. "Don't forget our deal, Count Cromwell! I will be waiting for you tomorrow!"
Ethan did not respond with words. He simply nodded and walked out of the medic bay. His instincts told him there was something seriously wrong about Goldie.
***
The tulip garden behind the castle was pleasant for a lazy afternoon. There were plenty of shade trees to lie under, and a cool breeze occasionally blew from the garden pond. It reminded Ethan of the meadows he watched in high-budget fantasy movies.
The boy looked around, but not a soul was in sight. Were his teachers late, or did they leave after waiting for him? It was unlikely that mere tutors would offend the future Count Cromwell.
Suddenly, Ethan's eyes caught a tiny figure standing under a maple tree. It was no taller than four and a half feet and wore a black, hooded cloak. What was a child doing in the tulip garden? Only royals were allowed there. Was the child lost, having wandered from the castle accidentally?
Ethan walked over to the munchkin and towered over it. "Hey, kid! Did you see a couple of grown-ups in the garden?"
The child was etching strange symbols into the maple tree's bark. There was no response to Ethan's question. Shouldn't a guard be posted to ensure there were no stragglers in the royal tulip garden? How lax was the castle's security anyway?
"Listen, kid! You're not allowed in the tulip garden. Let me show you a way out!"
The child again pretended not to notice the Cromwell's heir outburst, annoying him further. That is why Ethan hated kids on Earth. They always wanted your attention but ignored you when it was their turn to listen.
The boy noticed a heap of metal deposited under the tree. On closer inspection, it turned out to be armor—a helmet, cuirass, gauntlets, and so on—a complete set of medieval battle armor.
The metal was scuffed, dented, and scratched, indicating it belonged to a seasoned warrior. The dimensions were large, and Ethan could infer that the owner must be a huge, muscled individual.
Did Velma find a male warrior to tutor him? Was the child playing under the maple tree the latter's? That would make sense.
Suddenly, Ethan heard splashes and gurgles from the garden's pond. Was someone bathing in the water? That was unlikely since the displacing sounds were too loud for a human.
Was there a wild aquatic animal in the pond? That could be dangerous. The boy's instincts flared, and he felt goosebumps rise up his arms. He had no intention of endangering his life again so soon.
As the sounds got closer and louder, a figure broke the water's surface, rising from the pond like a mythical beast. A cold shiver ran up Ethan's spine. What the hell was going on? Why did his body react with such overwhelming emotion?
[Warning! Danger!]
[User's Nemesis is approaching]
[System advice: Run!]