It was a strange sensation that was difficult to define precisely.

Glancing sideways at the bathroom door, Serena created waves with stronger movements than before. The splashing waves crashed forcefully against her forearms and chest. As the intensity increased, heat spread not only across her skin but deep inside her body.

Her conscience kept pricking her with uncomfortable doubts too persistent to ignore. A whisper accused her of running away because she didn’t want to face the truth.

‘I already confirmed everything was fake earlier.’

That previous self-verification gave her reckless courage. Following the novel passages still vivid in her mind, Serena lightly squeezed her br*ast.

“Huh?”

Perhaps because she was in hot water, her br*asts felt smoother and softer than usual, with a strangely pleasant sensation in her hand. 

There was no lightning-like pleasure as described in the novel. But the soft, yielding feeling in her palm slightly elevated her mood.

Her hesitant hand movements gradually became bolder. The timid kneading of her br*asts evolved into roughly tapping the tender area beneath her full chest, and even shaking her br*asts enough to make splashing sounds in the water.

“Mmm.”

Like a contented cat purring, Serena moaned softly with her eyes closed. What began simply for the pleasant soft sensation now made her breathing quicken and her fingers press harder as she kneaded her br*ast. 

Now she massaged her flesh firmly enough to feel slightly sore, deliberately spreading and closing her fingers so her n*pples twisted between them.

“Ah.”

A short exclamation escaped when she accidentally touched the tip of her n*pple with her fingernail. It happened so quickly that Serena didn’t even realize she had cried out. She only remembered a fleeting sensation of her mood soaring momentarily. 

She felt yearning for something that disappeared before she could properly experience it. In her longing, her legs twisted and rubbed together slightly.

‘If I just continue a little more…’

At the sudden knocking, Serena’s half-closed eyes flew wide open. Her body, which had been languidly relaxed, instantly tensed, and her fingers touching her n*pple froze in place.

‘What am I doing?’

Hastily removing her hand, Serena splashed water on her face several times. Her face felt burning hot, possibly from the hot water. 

When another knock sounded, seemingly urging her, she opened her mouth with a trembling voice without even calming her pounding heart.

“C-come in.”

The maid who entered with massage supplies arranged the portable massage bed with towels and approached Serena, who was crouched in the bathtub.

“I’ll help with your massage, my lady.”

Though this was a service she regularly received, for some reason showing her n*ked body felt embarrassing today. 

Both her heightened sensitivity and the shameful fact that she had been pursuing such provocative sensations just moments ago troubled her.

Needlessly stalling while hiding her body in the water, Serena finally sighed and rose when the maid’s gaze began to turn questioning. 

The water that had been concealing her n*ked form poured noisily onto the bathtub and tiles.

‘This is strange. Why do I feel embarrassed?’

Slightly biting her lip, she pretended nothing was wrong and approached the massage bed. She lay on the towel and crossed her arms above her head as usual.

The maid routinely drizzled massage oil over her body. Though this was a familiar sensation that normally put her to sleep during massages, today the weight of the sticky liquid felt alien. 

The maid rubbed her hands together and began applying the oil all over Serena’s body with gentle touches.

“Mmm…”

A languid moan escaped her lips. The oil, softened by her body heat, thoroughly soaked the towel beneath her. Whenever Serena twisted slightly, the wet towel clung to her body and wrinkled.

Palms coated with transparent liquid lightly stroked her sides and suddenly slipped under her br*asts. Rhythmically moving fingers lightly flicked the underside of her br*asts. 

Her oiled br*asts, gleaming under the light, bounced elastically.

Serena firmly gripped her arms, which kept threatening to go limp. Her legs, which should have been relaxed, were tense, with her toes occasionally curling. 

She pushed against the innocent massage bed with her knees raised and toes extended. The friction between her feet and the oil that had spilled beyond the towel created loud, sticky sounds.

Her tightly closed lips parted slightly. Rough, silent breaths burst forth. Every part of her body untouched by the maid’s hands felt itchy. Her heart raced at the vague desire to have more people touch every corner of her body.

“Haah!”

When the fingers circling around her ar*ola firmly pressed her n*pple inward, Serena’s body jerked violently. The massage stopped abruptly at her reaction, strong enough for the maid to notice.

“My lady?”

It was a routine question asking if something was uncomfortable, but Serena, with eyes wide open, couldn’t hear it properly. Her gaze, trembling with confusion, looked frantically at the maid.

* * *

Hiding under the blanket in bed, Serena remained curled up for a long time. The shameful desire to disappear from the world and the unpleasant tension of her still-pounding heart were unbearable.

Because she had strongly denied the possibility, the moment her denial shattered, she was wounded even more deeply. Wanting to deny reality, Serena hid under the blanket like a child, forgetting her dignity. Only after calming down somewhat did she cautiously peek out.

‘It’s quiet.’

Having ordered the maids to leave because she wanted to be alone, the darkened room was deathly silent. But now, that cool calmness was actually welcome. With the bewildering heat of excitement subsiding, she could finally think rationally.

‘When I think about it, it wasn’t such a big deal.’

Serena tried to dismiss the changes happening to her as insignificant. Deep in her consciousness, alarms continued to warn of danger.

But her pride wouldn’t allow her to fully acknowledge this ominous sensation. The taboo she had meticulously built up was essentially the firm self-respect she wanted to preserve.

“It’s all because of that book making me confused temporarily.”

She glanced at the book tossed onto the sofa. Shocked by her own changes, she hadn’t thought to hide or organize it, instead throwing it onto the sofa without touching it since. 

Though no curse had been placed on it, she felt strangely reluctant to touch it, fearing she might catch a disease.

“It’s my mistake. I took it too lightly. I should have prepared myself before reading it…”

Serena attributed her confused state to an illusion caused by carelessness. She had been too incautious about a bet proposed by someone selling such vulgar items. 

If she had read it with firm resolve, it wouldn’t have affected her. She comforted herself that her unsettled feelings were due to her lack of caution as she slowly got out of bed.

Muttering that it was nothing, almost like self-hypnosis, her fear diminished slightly. Serena carefully picked up the book again.

Having already signed the contract, quitting midway would be equivalent to her defeat. If she lost, she might have to support that person’s business expansion, so she absolutely couldn’t lose. 

With a much more determined expression, Serena took a deep breath and returned to bed with the book.

“There’s nothing to gain by delaying.”

Relying on the soft light from the lamp on the nightstand, Serena carefully opened the book again. The strange book opened exactly to the page where she had stopped reading.

She closed her eyes and repeatedly recited passages about proper conduct, etiquette, and pure living from the scripture. After composing her scattered mind, Serena opened her eyes. Determined not to be led by the book’s intentions anymore, she began reading.

Serena’s cheeks very slowly turned red. Her eyes trembled slightly as she read. Her militant page-turning slowed, and she spent increasingly more time fidgeting with the paper corners.

Serena raised her legs that had been supporting the book and curled them toward her chest. Her soft toes fidgeted nervously. A tingling, itchy sensation spread slowly. With a twitch, the intimate area inside her thighs began to throb with heat and pulse slightly.

“Hm, mmm.”

That itchiness she felt while rubbing her br*asts in the bathtub, that strange tingling that made her more easily aroused by another’s touch. A similar stimulation returned.

Her last bit of reason barely held back the hot breath trying to escape through her slightly parted lips. Her lower lip was already swollen from constant biting. Yet she still couldn’t tear her gaze away from the text.