CHAPTER 22

Actually, it wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it, it was the main reason for her hesitation.

If she told Dian that she was still producing milk, he would actively try to help her. Most likely, he would offer to suckle her milk.

Inappropriately, she got a little excited for a second. A chance to let Dian suckle her br*asts for a legitimate reason. She thought it would be something she wouldn’t experience again in her life… she was being greedy.

But at the same time, she remembered the later days of the healing ritual. She remembered getting wet every time Dian sucked on them, m*sturbating at night thinking of him, and finally, on the last day, embracing him and wriggling her hips like she was in heat. There was no guarantee she wouldn’t do it again. She didn’t even know how to handle meeting Dian, let alone…

“The amount has definitely decreased, so it’s okay. I can manage on my own.”

 She decided to give up neatly.

“And it won’t be such a long time until the potion is ready… If the potion is completed and works, I might not need to tell him after all.”

Wouldn’t it be better to just let it quietly pass?

In retrospect, it wasn’t that big of a deal. If she could just take the potion and get better, she could handle it on her own.

“…I understand.”

“In the unlikely event that the potion doesn’t work, or if the problem seems to persist, then I’ll talk to him.”

I’ll think about it when the time comes.

“So, could you refrain from telling Dian for now?”

“Of course. As soon as the potion is finished, I’ll visit your mansion here.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Herta rose from her seat. Riennrose with her to accompany her to the front door.

“By the way, Dian is well, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he’s made a full recovery and is as healthy as ever.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“I heard he was invited to the royal palace today.”

“I see.”

He’s doing well.

“If you encounter any issues, please don’t hesitate to call for me.”

“Yes.”

Standing in the doorway, Rienn watched the carriage depart for a moment before heading back.

***

The next day, she woke up feeling sharp pain in her chest.

“Ugh….”

It hurts.

Each br*ast felt like a large stone. Her br*asts were swollen and hardened. She grimaced in pain as she gently touched them through her pajamas.

“Damn.”

I’ve had a bad day since yesterday.

It seemed like all the little problems had piled up. While the milk supply had clearly decreased, it didn’t seem normal the way it was pooling and gathering inside her chest. She hadn’t managed to express it properly after collapsing from the trip, and there were more fundamental reasons…

Apparently, hand pumping wasn’t the same as direct nursing.

When Dian sucked directly, the milk came from deep in her br*ast and flowed all the way to her n*pples, whereas hand expression felt like a shallow trickle on the surface. It was like there was more inside, but it wasn’t coming out.

Maybe that’s why Herta told me to ask Dian to do it together.

She knew it too, but many reasons were holding her back.

“Let’s get up.”

After a few stretches, she pushed herself up and headed for the bathroom.

The white round tub was filled with warm water. She stood n*ked and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her body was still smooth and shapely, but her br*asts were swollen to the point of bursting. Her br*asts looked sensitive and problematic.

As she touched it lightly with her fingertips, the pain surged.

“Ha…….”

She thought she was quite numb to pain, but this was too sensitive.

“Maybe I’ll feel better after a bath.”

She filled the water to a sufficient level and stepped into the tub.

“Oh, nice… it’s refreshing.”

As she immersed herself in the warm water, she felt the tension easing away, and she relaxed. Bathing helped with milk expulsion in many ways. Just as bathing improved blood circulation, it also helped with milk flow, and soon, milk began flowing freely. Plus, since she could just let the milk flow into the water, there was no need to clean up separately. As the milk splattered in all directions, she just needed to rinse the sink afterward.

She leisurely enjoyed her bath. She let her shoulders, neck, and face soak in the water, moving her arms and legs to feel the gentle resistance. Then, she leaned back against the tub and gazed through the window.

She’s got to get the milk out somehow, once the potion was ready in four days, she would take it and expel the remaining substances from her body…

“There’s a lot to expel.”

Still, once the substances were gone, the milk would dry up. She hoped it would work. It felt uneasy and daunting to think milk would keep coming out of her for a lifetime. There was only one person who had that happen, she wondered how they managed…

She tried to calm her mind and washed her body. After washing her hair and applying soap everywhere, she finally placed both hands on her chest.

“Why is it like this?”

There were lumps formed inside, making the surface of the skin uneven. Although it didn’t seem obvious from the outside, she reflexively felt the need to express them. She slightly raised herself in the tub and held her br*asts above the surface. Starting with her right br*ast, she spread her hands like pincers, grasped it with her thumb and the rest of her fingers, and pushed her fingertips toward the center to squeeze the milk out.

“Ha…….”

It hurt, but it felt refreshing. The milk gushed out in several streams and dripped into the water. It spread like transparent ink in the clear water.

“Ugh!”

As she adjusted the angle of her hand, passing over a lump, her senses sharpened.

“Ouch….”

Still, she instinctively knew she couldn’t leave it as it was. It might get worse if she ignored it.

She lightly tapped that area and then pressed her thumb against it. Without removing her fingertip, she pushed it steadily toward the n*pple, and thick milk flowed out. At the same time, tears welled up in her eyes.

“It hurts so much.” 

It was a piercing pain inside her body. She scooped warm water with her hand and applied it to her chest before squeezing again.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…….”

She just laughed through the pain.

She alternated between laughing like a fool and then expressing her milk repeatedly in pain. She focused more on the lumps on the right n*pple area. As the stagnant milk came out, the size decreased a bit but was still significant. She raised both hands to empty the right br*ast, then moved to the left.

“Haah.”

Her entire br*ast felt firm, but there were two particularly hard lumps. Carefully, she applied pressure with her fingertips and pushed. It felt oddly satisfying, like squeezing pus from a wound, but the pain made her want to stop. She finished with the left br*ast, faster than the right, and felt exhausted.

In the hot and humid air, her mind felt dizzy. As she rose from the bathtub, she staggered, feeling lightheaded.

“Ugh, I’m feeling dizzy.”

She barely managed to finish up and left the bathroom. 

Sitting at the vanity, she dried her hair and pondered.

Should I send a letter to Herta? 

Her chest wasn’t in good condition, and she needed some kind of solution. It wasn’t this bad just yesterday, but it’s gotten worse.

“Or maybe I should go to the study.”