Four days had passed since Hersion witnessed Meriel’s private moment. He thought he’d completely erased Meriel from his mind that day, but things didn’t go as planned. 

The experience of receiving a proposal from a woman for the first time in his life, and the incident of seeing a woman’s half-n*ked body for the first time, left significant aftereffects.

‘Should I visit her formally to apologize?’

Would that ease his mind? It would be troublesome if seeing her reminded him of last time and triggered another physical reaction.

Hersion, who’d never worried about a woman before, agonized over Meriel in a way quite unlike his usual self. The brave demeanor befitting his robust, solid frame was nowhere to be seen now.

Crouched at the edge of his bed in his room, Hersion rubbed his face repeatedly in contemplation. Would this uncomfortable feeling disappear if he went to that miss and apologized?

But when it came to actually apologizing formally, he felt awkward. To a woman far smaller and more delicate than himself, about a matter connected to an embarrassing topic—it felt mortifying to bring it up carelessly.

He knew full well that what Meriel had done was a natural act based on human desire. Still, he felt shy about mentioning those embarrassing things with his own mouth and saying he was sorry.

Hersion’s gaze unconsciously fell on the sword he’d retrieved belatedly last time. Seeing that weapon sitting in his room brought Meriel to mind even more vividly. The lewd scene from that time unintentionally replayed like a film.

He feared another physical reaction might occur. Hersion clutched his head and shook it, forcibly trying to erase the explicit scenes of Meriel from his mind.

Feeling embarrassed about continuing to dig himself into a hole alone, Hersion decided to visit Meriel later and apologize formally. 

If he didn’t visit and kept agonizing alone, no answer would come. Even if it was a bit embarrassing, telling her he was sorry would put his mind more at ease than staying still.

* * *

Naturally, Meriel had no way of knowing what agonies Hersion had gone through. Nothing special had happened in the meantime, and the atmosphere remained the same as before. 

Luna, the weapons shop’s sales—everything was unchanged from before meeting Hersion.

However, amidst that ordinary atmosphere, only Meriel had lost much of her vitality compared to before knowing Hersion. 

Of course, even though she tried to act bright in front of Luna, Luna fully sensed that she lacked energy. As a longtime friend, she couldn’t fail to perceive that atmosphere.

“Will the Flower Knight Commander come again?”

Luna chuckled.

“That talk since morning. He’ll come to buy weapons later when he needs them.”

“I really hope so. As soon as possible.”

Watching Meriel honestly bare her heart without hesitation, Luna snorted again. At that moment, something came to Luna’s mind.

“Right! You wouldn’t know, but I caught a glimpse while calculating—Sir Hersion looked quite pleased with the sword. So he’ll probably come here again when needed, setting aside all other weapons shops.”

“I fervently hope so.”

A sigh slowly flowed from Meriel’s lips. Getting caught m*sturbating couldn’t be helped now. 

Though she wanted to erase it from his memory, she wasn’t a psychic, a god, or a magician—just someone who could only imagine such things.

The situation where she’d brazenly asked if he had time seemed a bit rude too, but since it was in the past, she let it go. If only Hersion would come again… 

If she could see his face even once more, she’d be completely satisfied.

“Stop sighing and listen to me.”

Luna suddenly approached and whispered in front of Meriel.

“Starting tomorrow, the Royal Knights enter their vacation period.”

“What?”

Meriel’s eyes widened.

“It’s the regular vacation given once every six months. A day of rest. It’s tomorrow, apparently?”

“You really—how do you find out such news so uncannily?”

A slight smile spread across Meriel’s lips. If it was vacation, might Hersion come here to purchase additional weapons?

Her hopeful thought process spun, but negative thoughts simultaneously arose—would Hersion really bother coming all the way here? 

Last time they could reunite because he’d left a sword behind, but this time there was no particular object to bring them together again.

Moreover, Hersion had declined Meriel’s proposal about having time. So when even seeing her face seemed burdensome, would he crazily visit again?

“A few days ago, while hearing about scandals spreading through social circles these days, I heard this information too. Information about nobles gets leaked knowingly or unknowingly among blacksmiths too. Anyway, starting tomorrow, the Rüharen Royal Knights enter their regular vacation. You should pay more attention to news too.”

Luna trailed off, muttering somewhat annoyedly. Though Luna had lowered her voice for a reason, her words didn’t properly reach Meriel’s ears. She was absorbed in thoughts about whether Hersion would or wouldn’t come all the way here during vacation.

A few seconds later, Meriel spoke resolutely.

“Next time he comes, I’ll treat him even better! I’ll try seducing him like a female protagonist in a novel.”

“Oh my, you’ve completely fallen. Do your best. Ah! A customer’s here.”

When the front door opened with the sound of hinges, Luna looked to see who’d arrived. As expected, it wasn’t Hersion. He’d surely be busy until today.

A customer wearing solid armor entered the shop. Luna hurriedly cleared away the daily newspaper and greeted him. Introducing himself as a knight from Count Eric’s household, he asked Luna to recommend a practice sword.

“Yes, just a moment.”

Unaware of Luna quietly approaching him, Meriel wished once more. She hoped Hersion would definitely come here during vacation. She didn’t care what his business was. If she could just see his face, this frustrating congestion seemingly from lovesickness would clear.

“Will he really come tomorrow?”

Meriel, who’d muttered her wish, belatedly became conscious of the customer. When the man from Count Eric’s knight order looked at Meriel, she cleared her throat awkwardly. 

Continuing to sit around waiting only for Hersion wasn’t proper conduct as a merchant. Meriel awakened to reality and approached Luna to help with business.

After deliberating over several swords, he chose the one he liked most, purchased it, and left the shop. Though Meriel had only made a sale to one person, she felt tired unlike usual.

Even when she masturbated before bed, she hadn’t felt this drained the next day. Did being smitten dig into a person’s heart this much?

That day, Meriel gazed at the front door with a dazed expression until the next customer came, longing for Hersion.

* * *

“What do you plan to do during the rest period, Commander?”

“……”

At Mateo’s sudden question, Hersion hesitated in answering. That was because when the somewhat androgynous voice of Vice Commander Mateo bored into his ears, Meriel naturally flashed through his mind.

‘Should I visit after all…’

He hadn’t particularly planned what to do during vacation. Since training was something he always did, he wanted to rest from at least that.

Hersion finally decided to visit Meriel. Keeping it in his heart felt uncomfortable, and he felt only a formal apology would make his worries disappear. 

He briefly worried about what to do if his center embarrassingly reacted on its own again, but still, as one person to another, he had to do what needed doing.

Having resolved himself quite firmly in his own way, Hersion wanted to hide from Mateo the fact that he was visiting Meriel. 

Since he had no experience with women, if he told Mateo, a romance expert, Mateo would obviously lecture him with all sorts of advice in a reversal of roles. It was better to conceal it even just to avoid the hassle.

“I’ll go to my estate and rest a bit.”

“As expected of the Commander.”

At the answer he always heard, Mateo smiled knowingly. Though words about meeting his lover Sullivan then flowed from Mateo’s mouth, they didn’t enter Hersion’s ears.

Hersion couldn’t readily muster the courage to meet Meriel and apologize. When holding a sword and charging into enemy lines, he was bolder than anyone—why did anything connected to her make him tense first?

Still, having decided, he had to visit the weapons shop. Tomorrow, right away.

A gentle spring breeze flew over, making Hersion’s light blond hair flutter. Whether from the wind or his mood, he slowly closed his worried eyes amidst the rustling.

* * *

“They’d have entered vacation starting today.”

Meriel, who still kept Hersion in her mind, muttered as soon as she woke. Though it was a weekday for Meriel and Luna, for the Royal Knights it was a holiday for all members except the duty knights on rotating shifts.

After simply finishing breakfast with toast, Meriel began preparing for business with Luna. She neatly organized memo papers and quill pens scattered carelessly on the display case and dusted off the dust accumulated in various places on the shelves.

The moment she stepped on a chair and climbed up to clean high places with a duster, Hersion came to mind again. That tall person with a large frame.

‘I really hope he comes during vacation. The Knight Commander could easily dust here without having to step on this d*mn chair.’

What random thoughts I’m having, really! Just clean!

Meriel inwardly scolded herself and got down from the chair. Luna, who’d dusted the opposite side, approached the display case at the same time as Meriel, who’d finished cleaning.

The morning hours remained leisurely as always. 

Whenever they saw people loitering in front of the shop, they hoped they’d come inside, but everyone just glanced at the interior through the glass window and stopped there. At such moments, Meriel and Luna swallowed their disappointment.

Feeling bored, Meriel yawned and briefly went to her room to bring back an *rotic novel. When flies were buzzing around, nothing beat reading steamy romance to pass the time.

Though she resisted shyly, to Wilson she looked like a mere small woman flailing about asking to be released. Even this appearance now was cute and arousing. Wilson grabbed Ann’s thighs and forcefully spread them open. 

Through the widely opening valley crevice, Ann’s v*lva, already glistening wet with valley water, clearly revealed itself. Her cl*toris, reddened from Wilson’s tongue touching it, protruded. Once again, the slender female body trembled.

Meriel’s eyes, taking in each passage, busily scanned the letters. Having read so many adult romances, it felt less explicit than other works she’d appreciated, but thinking of Hersion, she could sufficiently indulge in lewd imagination.

At some moment while absorbed in the s*x scene, Luna brightened and broke into a sunny smile. Seeing the identity of the person entering as the shop door opened, she whispered to Meriel.

“The Royal Knight Commander has come.”

“What?”

Meriel jumped in shock and reflexively closed the book. With a heavy thud as both pages of the book collided, she froze in place.

N-no way…

So shocked that he’d actually come, she didn’t even care about the situation where she’d failed to insert a bookmark.

Meriel hastily threw the book on the break room floor, closed the door behind her, and cleared her throat. She’d feel embarrassed for nothing if a phlegmy voice came out.

“I greet Knight Commander Hersion.”

“……”

Their gazes met. Her green eyes, holding both tension and gladness simultaneously, flickered. 

Hersion’s deep blue eyes staring blankly at Meriel also swayed slowly like hers. Hersion gave Meriel a light nod as a courteous greeting.