Chapter 13

‘Even if I can’t keep him to myself forever.’

Throb.

Just thinking that made a corner of Erin’s chest ache faintly.

Once this experiment was over, she’d have to write Ash a recommendation, and she wouldn’t be able to keep employing him. She didn’t even have the money to pay him…

‘No, that’s not necessarily true.’

…You never know.

If the experiment succeeded, she might earn a fortune.

Her plan to become rich while saving women was still very much alive.

Public opinion wasn’t great yet, but Erin firmly believed her idea would be a huge success.

No matter what people said in public, they’d seek out contraceptives in private. In this world, contraceptives were an absolute necessity.

‘Maybe… I’ll ask him later?’

After she solved the Duke’s demands and her financial problems.

She’d offer him even more money, ask if he’d stay on as her assistant. She was even planning to develop other medicinal potions soon.

‘That’s right. I can always make new experiments.’

There were more medicines this world didn’t have than ones it did.

Right now, she was just a poor Baron’s daughter, but if her experiment succeeded and she earned Duke Aston’s recognition…

If she could become a researcher who could afford more assistants…

Then maybe with Ash…

‘Maybe we wouldn’t have to part ways?’

The moment she thought that, she noticed the arm working hard to massage her.

Suddenly, she wondered if he wasn’t getting tired massaging her.

‘Right. I shouldn’t just think about the future…’

She needed to treat him well now if she wanted things to work out later.

With only that thought, Erin reached out and kneaded Ash’s oil-covered forearm.

“…Doctor?”

Ash, who had been delicately touching Erin’s body, froze. Erin started clinging to his forearm, kneading as if giving a massage.

“What are you…”

“I-I’ll do it for you too.”

“What?”

“I can’t be the only one getting this…”

If she wanted to stay on his good side, she couldn’t be the only one receiving this kind of massage…

‘Massage?’

While thinking, Erin glanced at Ash’s hand on her chest and her mind went hazy.

‘That’s right. The massage was just an excuse.’

Ash’s intent was clearly to create a sensual atmosphere.

So, if she wanted to return the favor…

“…Doctor.”

As she sat up and brought her oil-covered hand to Ash’s waistband, his rarely flustered voice reached her.

“Wait… let me…”

But before Ash could move away, Erin unbuckled his belt and opened his pants.

‘Ah.’

The next moment, she felt a bit relieved.

‘So I wasn’t the only one excited.’

She found Ash’s arousal matched the wetness between her own legs.

It was dauntingly large as always, but since she’d made up her mind, she figured she could handle it.

After all, during her first time, she’d just lain there while Ash did almost everything.

“So this time, I’ll…”

Thinking that, she wrapped her oil-slicked hand around Ash’s shaft. His lower belly tensed, veins standing out.

Seeing his tension made her heart pound.

“Haa…”

Erin let out a m*an as if she herself were being touched and began stroking Ash with both hands.

She squeezed up and down, rubbed the groove at the tip, even massaged the heavy sac beneath…

‘Is this… right?’

It was her first time touching a man’s genitals, so she felt a bit unsure…

“…Nngh.”

But seeing Ash close his eyes, aroused even by her clumsy touch, Erin’s hands moved on their own.

She could feel the pronounced veins and the thin skin gliding beneath her palm.

“Mm…”

Erin panted unconsciously. She enjoyed touching Ash more than being touched herself. The wall between researcher and assistant faded, even for just a moment.

‘I want to make him feel good.’

Not just because she wanted to renew their contract, but purely to please him.

With that thought, she moved her hands a few more times.

Pop!

“Ah!”

“…Sorry.”

White fl*id spurted from the tip she’d been stroking, landing right on Erin’s cheek.

Ash, uncharacteristically flustered, scrambled to find something to wipe it off, but Erin felt a strange sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

‘He felt good, didn’t he?’

She liked that Ash had cl*maxed from her touch.

Most of all, it was nice to see the usually calm, sometimes even sly man so flustered just because he’d finished on her face.

‘Cute.’

Instead of the usual ‘handsome’ or ‘pretty,’ Erin felt a new emotion—he was cute. Her cheeks warmed.

“Did you like it, Ash?”

She was so pleased she lifted her head, wiped her cheek with her finger, and looked at him with a smile.

“…D*mn.”

“Ah!”

A low curse escaped Ash’s lips. Then, with the help of slippery oil, his fingers plunged boldly inside her.

“Hah, mmm, ah…”

Already soaked, her folds welcomed his touch, needing no more preparation. The moment his sticky, slippery hand rubbed her cl*toris, Erin let out a loud m*an.

“You started this, Doctor.”

Ash whispered, his chest flushed.

“If you do this, I…”

‘Can’t hold back.’

His hands moved without restraint as he whispered. Erin gladly let herself be swept away, crying out with pleasure.

* * *

‘Ah, mm…’

Erin moaned softly.

Even half-asleep, she could feel someone’s touch tracing her body.

A familiar name slipped from her parted lips.

‘…Ash?’

Through half-closed eyes, she saw a blurry silhouette. That familiar ash-grey.

Erin, delighted, hugged him tight. Soon, her whole body was burning.

The afterglow of the oil massage lingered between her legs. No, it felt like she hadn’t escaped that massage yet.

‘Touch me more…’

At her thought, a large, familiar hand rubbed her folds.

Erin moaned and hugged the silhouette, her pale chest beginning to glisten with sweat. Even though the oil should have been absorbed, at night the heat returned.

‘Did I put an aphrodisiac in the medicine?’

Erin idly wondered as she stroked the man holding her. Sweat soon beaded on his forehead, too.

‘Erin.’

Hearing her name instead of ‘Doctor’ made the back of her neck tingle. When Erin kissed him, he responded.

‘Erin.’

“Yes, Ash…”

‘I like you.’

Tingle.

The moment she heard those words, her chest filled with heat.

‘Me too, Ash.’

As she kept replying, the corners of their joined lips curled up.

A bead of sweat traced Ash’s sculpted features and fell onto Erin’s flushed cheek.

“…Eek! Cold!”

Erin startled awake from her dream.

“Huh?”

When she came to, Ash was nowhere to be seen. Only her thighs were a little damp. The wide, empty bed greeted her.

The shock set in slowly.

‘Was that…’

Like a teenage boy’s wet dream, had she just had an *rotic dream?

“Oh my god.”

Erin pressed her burning cheeks with both hands. To have a s*xy dream about the man she did those things with every day…

‘No, actually.’

‘Erin, I like you.’

What she really wanted was to hear that.

The words Ash had whispered in her ear.

That’s probably why she’d dreamed it.

“I’m crazy.”

Erin flapped her hands to shake off the dream.

What kind of research professor wants to hear that from her assistant? She felt a bit gross.

‘…But it was already too late the moment I answered ‘me too’!’

Realizing her own feelings, Erin thumped her chest.

Just then, something else fell from above and landed on her body.

“Eek! …Huh?”

Only after the cold hit her skin did she notice the ceiling.

“What is this?”

Water was dripping everywhere from the soaked wooden ceiling. It was like a water bomb had gone off.

The bed, the floor—everything was flooded. Erin’s eyes widened in shock.

“Wait. This is…”

What happened? What should she do?

Still in her half-wet pajamas, Erin scrambled off the bed in confusion.

Thump, thump, thump.

A dull knock sounded at the door. Startled, Erin turned to hear a familiar voice call out.

“Doctor, are you all right?”