Chapter 17: Renfont Manor, Night (2)

The recipient of the phoenix goblet wasn't who I expected.

I'd imagined that Baron Renfont himself would receive its gifts. I didn't know what ailments he had, but neither why the goblet was being used nor who it was to be used on mattered in the context of our negotiations.

I didn't expect the recipient would be his young wife, Baroness Ilsa Renfont.

She came into the clearing wearing a simple white dress. She looked as healthy as her ringlets would suggest, bright and unblemished.

I nodded to her as she swept over to the basin where the goblet was being kept, my muscles twitching instinctively to stop her when she looked like she was about to reach down and pick it up.

Instead, she picked up a bundle of the grass beside the basin, before bringing them to her nose.

Barely a moment later, she sneezed.

I stared, wildly confused at what I believed was an unnecessary prelude to the ritual. If I'd missed a detail beyond needing to recite the hundred verses, then it was something I had to amend immediately.

"See this?" she said, her haughty voice as grating as claws on a chalkboard. "The ills that we of high station must suffer. As if we do not endure enough."

"Baroness?" I responded, tone querying.

She frowned. Perhaps it was because her expression was hidden from her husband, who at this time was beyond the clearing with his guards, that she allowed her thoughts to float to the surface.

"The physician calls it an affliction of springtime. When I breathe in the wonders around me, I'm soon struck down with these unbearable, ghastly sneezing pangs."

It was several moments before I consigned myself to the fact that my ears didn't mishear.

"You intend to use a phoenix goblet … to cure you of sneezing?"

She stared hard at me.

"Sneezing affliction," she added on my behalf.

I couldn't say anything.

It wasn't that I didn't want to. It just simply wasn't my place to decry the wastefulness of nobility.

No, I suspected that when word got out, the Church would do it for me. A phoenix goblet in exchange for pacifying sneezing? They will rain down holy sisters until the Renfont family realised why it wasn't soldiers that the Demon King's army flinched at. It was nuns.

Thus, I smiled and gestured towards the goblet.

"At your pleasure, Baroness."

~ ~ ~

When the first hint of dawn touched against the night sky, I finished the final verse.

The sweat ran down my temple. I didn't know that merely speaking could induce sweat, but here it was.

I'd worn my standard attire for the ritual, knowing I'd be more at ease with my sword by my side than without it. Now even the weight of my faithful weapon felt heavy as I delivered the words to announce the coming of dawn.

"… And so, at the end of all times, the Goddess of Love received a boon of her own. The children she bore returned her favour in full, leaving offspring of their own. Joyous was the laughter of children, and so went the Goddess with that last song keen against her ear. And she knew that all was well in the world of her want."

My arms fell down.

Never before, even within the strict halls of my small chapel, had I been required to clasp my hands together for so long.

I personally doubted if the praying gesture was required, as I wasn't technically praying but reciting. But the Goddess fancied contrition and there were fewer ways more pious than to pray while reciting all hundred of her apparent sermons.

Kneeling with an artifact in her hand, Baroness Ilsa Renfont looked around, her ears likely as tired as her eyes as they blinked before the rising dawn. I caught her attention with a stiff nod, my neck unable to bend any further.

The baroness beamed, looking as whole and hearty as she'd done when she'd first knelt before the goblet. She pulled out a tuft of grass and took in the aroma. When no bout of sneezing came, I knew with a sense of remorse that through my assistance, a goblet was now spent in a way that was unlikely to aid the survival of the kingdom.

But who knows. Perhaps the baroness was fated to lose a duel to one of the Demon King's officers by way of a sudden sneeze, and I had now shaped the conflict in ways that only providence could see.

I let out a sombre smile as I let this hopeful thought to linger in my mind. My smile became much more genuine when I spied Iris coming towards me.

She looked like an angel, the way the first rays of light brushed against the tip of her golden hair. Even with the shade clouding her face, I could see her blue eyes glittering, and her smile warmer than the dawn rising at her back.

Perhaps this was my true reward for reciting all hundred of the Goddess's verses.

"Congratulations," said Iris. "You are now officially a model student of the Church."

I gave her a wry smile.

"A model student? I hope you know that's blasphemy where I'm from."

Iris raised an eyebrow.

"Our hometowns share the same region."

"Exactly, so you should know that if any of the Sisters caught wind of what you claimed, we'd both be spending the night prostrating before an alter."

"Oh? Good thing the night's already passed, then."

Iris casually dismissed the threat of those ever listening ears with a flick of her hair behind her shoulder.

The moment she did so, I forgot everything I wanted to say.

It wasn't merely the sight of Iris's dazzling beauty beneath the first light which made me too stunned to respond.

It was because coming from her … was a scent that Iris now knew more than mine.

At once, my mouth felt dry as my heart started to beat faster.

A part of me couldn't believe it.

We were on a commission.

In a nobleman's estate.

Even if she had no task to accomplish, she had her boundaries. They were unspoken, but no less true. Even Magnus would never try to hoist her away while we were on duty. She was professional in her pursuit of being an ordained hero, even if Magnus himself wasn't.

For all his swaggering, even he understood that.

So why, then, would she carry that same scent which she now wore so often?

A part of me couldn't believe she'd taken that step. That she'd broken that next boundary.

And yet, as I felt a familiar heat rising within me, I knew that a greater part of me wanted to believe it was true.

"Did you … stay after the first ten verses?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice in check.

Iris's eyes didn't glance down. It would have been so easy.

But she didn't need to expose me. Not when the tremble in my voice did that already.

"No," she said simply. "I decided to rest."

"How long for?"

Iris smiled.

All of a sudden, she leaned in closer. The aroma of wine mixed with something else came off her warm breath.

"All~ night."

I couldn't stop my body reacting.

As though knowing this, Iris took another step forward, shielding my obvious hardening from accidental eyes. Then, she reached forward and gently took my hand in hers.

Not to hold it. But to give me a familiar transparent stone.

"Your reward," she said softly. "For all your hard work tonight."

~ ~ ~

A mesmerising sight greeted me upon activating the memory stone.

I was speechless.

Of all the wonderful things I'd seen Iris wear for my sake, I'd still never seen her in something quite like this.

Below were black high heels matched with black garter belt and stockings, beneath a short skirt barely protected by a frilly white apron. Above was a black corset finished with a white shoulderless bodice.

She was wearing the same maid uniform used by the estate staff.

Except that in Iris's case, she made the women who wore them earlier look utterly inadequate.

Although the black corset had no difficulty wrapping around Iris's slim waist, the white bodice had given way to her flawless proportions. Unable to accommodate her huge bust, the single string used for tightening at the centre was left undone. The parting meant that the entire line of her cleavage was exposed from top to bottom, revealing a deep valley as her breasts pressed tightly together.

That's when I realised that Iris wasn't wearing a bra. The bodice was so tight that it wasn't needed.

Iris stepped away from the memory stone, her playful smile aimed only momentarily at me before she turned around. Her skirt flicked magnificently, revealing the black underwear she wore to match the garter belt and stockings.

And that's when I realised she wasn't alone.

Sitting on the edge of a luxurious bed was Magnus, indulging in a glass of wine.

He was fully naked, a few droplets of sweat running down his temple as he admired the sight of Iris walking towards him. His eyes glanced down at the garter belt and stockings, and then the high heels displaying a pair of slender legs that few could match.

His cock was fully erect, a sheen of fluids already covering it. A healthy smear of his cum mixed with what I knew to be the wet juices of the maids who'd escorted him throughout the day. It disgusted me that from my angled view, perhaps from a table or a chair, I could clearly see how his huge cock was jutting against his stomach in anticipation.

And yet, it was just possible that I was anticipating this more.

Iris had never worn this type of outfit before.

I felt another pang of jealousy that yet again, Magnus could experience something I'd not. Her array of nightgowns and lingerie was mature and seductive, but this maid uniform offered a different kind of allurement. There was nothing elegant about it. It was the type of clothing worn solely for one purpose, and that was to entice men into ravaging her on the spot.

That Magnus was holding back was testament to his patience. Or perhaps the fact that he'd already been satisfied several times today alone.

Looking at the rich furnishings, the velvety curtains and the heavy carpet which muffled Iris's footsteps, I knew immediately that this must be one of the guest rooms they'd led him to. And judging by the fluids still yet to dry, he must have barely just finished fucking them.

Or maybe, I thought with another shot of jealousy, it was possible that Iris had even ordered them out.

"You know how to make an entrance," said Magnus, grinning as he casually took in Iris's appearance above the rim of his glass. "Never heard you use your title like that before."

"I'm the Sword Princess," replied Iris, stopping just shy of Magnus's reach. "I have important matters to discuss with my party companions."

Magnus chuckled.

"You're not the Sword Princess. You're a slut in uniform. You've always dressed like one, but this is something else. It'd be cheaper to pay a whore to do the full works than to wear what you're wearing."

Iris smiled, dismissing the insult by offering another twirl.

"And? Did you have the maids perform the full works for you?"

Magnus grunted in appreciation at the skirt flourish, patiently allowing himself to be teased by the flash of underwear.

"Depends who you mean. Mila gave it a good go, but lacked the experience. Libby was better, but missed out on some flexibility. Jenny, though? Yeah. Jenny was okay."

Although her smile remained steady, Iris's eyes flashed with danger.

"You learned their names?"

"I gave them names."

And then the danger passed. All that remained was a clear look of sympathy on the maids' behalf as Iris realised that, tonight at least, she was not the only one to be insulted by him.

Magnus was unrepentant as he took another sip of wine. He had much more to go. Beside the bed was a small feast. Fruits of all colours stacked into bowls, beside more bottles and pitchers than one person could enjoy even if they had the week.

"We're supposed to be on a commission," said Iris, her chiding tone not helped by the way her breasts practically spilled out from her maid outfit. "You should be available even if you're not needed."

"Yeah? If I'm not needed, I'm not there. Don't need to babysit your boyfriend, even if he is a loser. May as well enjoy the moment while we can. That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"No, as I said, I have important matters to discuss."

"Like what?"

"Like your manners." Iris took a step towards the large platter on the bedside table. "If you're thirsty, you do not drink wine. You drink water. It's a simple concept, although I understand that this is beyond you."

Magnus shrugged. Any other man would have seen Iris in her tight maid uniform and rushed to answer her every request.

But then again, only one man got to actually fuck her.

"I like wine more," he said, for once explaining as much as he needed.

"You should learn to enjoy water."

"Yeah, I'll do that once the fucking expensive wine's run out. You think we can get this outside without stealing it? I'm not drinking water when there's a cellar to go through and a moron in charge who's waiting to let it waste."

Iris picked up a pitcher. She examined the contents, then poured a clear liquid into a nearby glass.

"You should learn to enjoy water," she repeated calmly.

"You should learn to open your legs." Magnus grinned, eyes taking in Iris's figure as she steadily filled the glass. "I can smell how wet you are. I told you already, I don't mind the foreplay. But all you have to do is open your legs and it's the same thing. You'll just get to be fucked quicker."

In answer, Iris turned around to face Magnus.

She lifted the glass to her lips.

"You should learn to enjoy water," she said once more, her tone eerily sweet.

She began drinking the water. Magnus watched in clear puzzlement. Yet again, he had no answer to one of Iris's acts.

Especially as she wasn't actually drinking the water.

With a fine dribble leaking from the edge of her lips, Iris leaned down. There was only a brief window for Magnus to grin in realisation before he reciprocated the movement upwards.

A moment later, their lips came together.

"Mmh … Nhhn …"

Iris tightly locked her pink lips against Magnus, slowly parting to allow a small sliver of water to flow from her mouth to his. Within moments, snatches of pink could be seen as their tongues came together.

Then, the water flowed freely down Iris's chin as she attempted to slide as much of the liquid as she could from her mouth into Magnus's using only her tongue.

"Nnh … hah …"

After indulging in each other's taste, their lips came apart to a trail of saliva. Water continued dribbling down Iris's chin, wetting her cleavage and the white bodice which struggled to contain it.

She wore a mischievous smile as she held the half-emptied glass in her hand.

"Do you … hahh … enjoy water more now?"

Magnus smirked, his cock practically pulsing against his stomach as he somehow didn't immediately begin taking Iris on the spot.

"It's better. But you know what? I've never been a fast learner."

"Then … how about a different method?"

With a cute tilt of her head, Iris smiled, then raised the glass over her chest.

She poured the water onto her cleavage.

After a small splash, it immediately began pooling. The liquid streamed down, following the tightly pressed line of her breasts until it dribbled down onto the black corset.

Magnus needed no invitation. He leaned in, all too eager to play the willing student as his face burrowed into the window to Iris's breasts.

The moment he did so, Iris's eyes glanced towards me as I watched from the memory stone.

She gave a cute wink, and with her free hand, lifted the edge of her frilly skirt.

For the first time, her black underwater could clearly be seen between the garter belts. But that wasn't all. A clear trickle of wetness now damping the stockings as much as the water was her corset.

Beneath her smile, a lapping sound could be heard as Magnus indulged in drinking from Iris's cleavage. When he was done, he licked the valley of her breasts, then leaned back with an expression of pure satisfaction.

"Well?" said Iris. "Have you learned to enjoy water now?"

Magnus grinned, clearly in a mind to push this as much as he could. His eyes were wholly on Iris's breasts, and the wonders that her deep cleavage held.

"Yeah, I think I finally get it," he said instead. "I finally understand how fucking delicious the taste of water is."

Putting down the emptied glass, Iris stepped in front of Magnus. He parted his legs at once. The fluids already smearing his jutting cock was now joined by fresh drops of oozing pre-cum.

Iris looked down at it. She bit her lips as an unmistakable hunger appeared in her blue eyes.

"… In that case, allow me to reinforce learning by rewarding good behaviour."

She cupped her breasts with her hands, then kneeled down between his legs.