The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"...Never mind, it's none of my business. If I really want to know, I can just ask her tomorrow morning..."

Trusting that Mayera wouldn't harm her while she slept, Tatia closed her eyes and quickly succumbed to the drowsiness brought on by days of sleeplessness. She soon drifted off to sleep.

For Tatia, this was a peaceful sleep she hadn't had in ages.

At school, whenever she closed her eyes, images of Naka crying, Mitian's irritating remarks, and the despicable Oz would flash before her eyes, images that kept her awake at night. But tonight, all those things vanished without a trace. She didn't dream either. She slept the most peaceful and tranquil sleep she had in a long time.

This was the best night for Tatia.

"Hmm... Heh..."

A biting cold wind seeped in through the thin blanket. Tatsia opened her eyes in the unbearable chill.

Although she was woken up by the cold, she had slept very soundly. It was now morning. Sparrows building nests in the big tree behind her were chirping happily. Tatsia stretched and stood up from the blanket.

"Ah... I haven't slept this well in ages... Hey, are you up yet? If you are, we need to get going... Hey?"

She looked down at her side. But Mayera, who had been sleeping there, was nowhere to be seen. The half-covered blanket looked pulled back. Tatia looked left and right, but couldn't find Mayera anywhere.

"I said! Are you there!...Meira! Meira! Where have you been!"

She didn't really want to call the Demon King's daughter by her name; addressing her so intimately made the girl, whose goal was to kill the Demon King, feel somewhat uncomfortable. But in order to find her now, it would be difficult for her to hear her if she didn't say her name directly. So, Tatia reluctantly called out "Meira."

Even though she called out several times, enduring the shame, no one responded. Had she stolen her luggage and run away? Thinking this, Tatia immediately checked her belongings. But all her things were still there, not a single item missing. Then Tatia remembered a wise saying Mayera had uttered yesterday: "Even if you sold everything you own, you still couldn't afford a drug to knock someone out." Her rags were simply not worthy of Mayera's attention, someone who had enjoyed wealth and luxury. Although it was only temporary, Tatia still felt a little guilty for imagining her as someone capable of such despicable acts.

If that's the case, where did she go? Did she abandon me, who doesn't know the way, and leave on her own? After thinking about it for a moment, Tatsia immediately shook her head, denying this possibility. Yesterday, she had actively and strongly requested that I travel with her, not because Tatsia wanted to go with her. There was no reason for her to suddenly change her mind and leave alone before reaching our destination. What else could it be?

Soon, Tatia came up with a very simple and straightforward reason.

"...Did you go to the restroom?"

It was indeed somewhat inappropriate to make such a guess about a lady. But that was the only possibility Tatia could think of. Perhaps because she had just woken up and her mind hadn't yet adjusted to the point where she was aware of the extremely impolite thing she was about to do, she didn't choose to wait where she was. Instead, she stood up and walked in one direction.

"I'll go look for her... I just don't feel comfortable letting a princess leave alone."

What could possibly make her uneasy about a princess who could easily counter even her strongest skill? This was a question Tatia hadn't even considered at the moment. She packed her belongings and headed into the depths of the plains, far from the main road. She reasoned that if Meera wasn't heading towards the main road, then she must have been heading in the opposite direction.

As they walked, a huge lake came into view.

Even in winter, the lake never freezes. In the early morning sunlight, the surface shimmers with a soft glow. It's truly a beautiful sight. Tatsia, upon arriving, couldn't help but remark...

"So beautiful..."

Fish in the lake occasionally leaped from the surface, then splashed back into the water with a "plop," creating sprays of water. The water vapor, warmed by the sunlight, gradually evaporated, leaving a thin layer of steam faintly covering the lake's surface. This swirling mist created an illusion of being in a fairyland. These scenes captivated Taqia's eyes, and it took her a long time to realize she had almost neglected her mission.

"Oh no, oh no, if we don't hurry, Mayra might go back... Mayra! Are you here! Mayra!"

She called out as she walked along the lake. After a few more minutes, a dark figure appeared in the mist in the distance.

"Is that Maya? Maya!"

She stood where she had spotted the figure and shouted. But the figure neither responded nor approached Tatsia. Tatsia had no choice but to go closer herself.

"Meira, are you here? Mei..."

As she passed through the fog and reached a distance from the figure, becoming able to make out its outline, Tatsia's throat tightened as if something had blocked it, and she suddenly lost her voice. She could only stare, mouth agape, eyes wide.

Because of the mist, Tatia realized as she got closer that the figure wasn't on the shore, but in the lake. That figure was none other than Mayera.

She was standing naked in the lake, gently scooping up water with her hands and splashing it onto her body.

Bathing in a lake or river is nothing unusual; Tatsia did the same during the time she was away from home before her father's death. But what stunned her was Mayera's alluring body, which was even more beautiful than the lake's scenery, enough to eclipse them all.

Her fair skin glowed with a comforting warmth under the sunlight. Slender and petite, yet with defined curves, her shapely figure made even Tatsia, a woman, feel a surge of blood pressure, like a young boy in puberty. The water droplets slowly falling on her body gave her a crystalline, translucent quality. Rather than describing her as merely physical, Tatsia preferred to describe her as a "human-shaped jewel."

Back in the Elf Kingdom, she had bathed many times with her female elf friends of similar age. But she had never seen such an alluring figure. She even momentarily forgot to call her back so they could set off together. She simply blurted out instinctively...

"Wow, so beautiful..."

These words finally reached Meera in the lake. Upon hearing the sound, she immediately turned to look at the shore. There she saw Tatia standing, admiring her bathing. Meera seemed to have forgotten to cover her private parts, her entire front exposed to Tatia's eyes.

Their eyes met. A few seconds later, Mayera clutched her chest and genitals, crouched down in the water, and let out a piercing scream.

"Aaaaaaa, you big pervert!"

"Color... Huh? No, no... I didn't mean to... it was just a coincidence..."

Tatia quickly waved her hands in explanation. But Mayera rejected all of her explanations.

"A coincidence? If it was a coincidence, why didn't you look away or cover your eyes when you saw my body? Why were you staring at me like that?"

"No! I really didn't mean that... I just wanted to make sure it was you, that's why I looked a little longer, because you weren't here when I woke up, and I was really worried about you... really! Believe me!"

For some reason, Taqia felt like a perverted man peeping at girls showering. The more she explained, the more it sounded like she was covering up, like she'd been caught red-handed doing something lewd—it all sounded like an excuse.

"I don't believe you..."

Mayera had half her face submerged in water, and bubbles would rise to her lips whenever she spoke. She looked at Tatia, who clearly looked guilty, with a suspicious gaze.

Then, a smile that seemed to say "everything is going as I expected" appeared again on her lips, which were hidden underwater.

Yes. That was exactly what Mayella wanted to achieve.

She had already anticipated that Tatia would come looking for her if she discovered her absence. And she wouldn't take the main road; she would definitely come to this lake. So Mayera had taken off her clothes early and was lying in wait, deliberately exposing her body to her. She did this for only one reason...

"Oh dear, Brother Tatya is so oblivious. I guess I'll just have to accept my bad luck."

Mayera feigned anger, complaining to Tatia as she stood up. She slowly walked ashore and approached the flustered and bewildered Tatia.

"Since you've already seen it, I might as well let you see enough."

While Tatia was still in shock, Mayera suddenly lowered her hand from covering her private parts, allowing Tatia a closer and clearer view. This sudden attack left Tatia completely bewildered. This time, she turned her head away, looking away, and asked in confusion...

"What...what are you doing? You're already up here, so put your clothes on properly! Why are you showing them to me...this time, you really can't blame me!"

"Because, there's no other way..."

"W-what, there's no way?"

"Because my mother once set this rule for me... She said that I am of noble royal lineage, so I must remain pure and chaste. Only my partner is entitled to see my body. And I can only give my body to my partner... But after you saw it, I will never be able to get married... It's the same whether you see it once or twice, so why bother arguing with Brother Tatsia?"

"What, what did you say?"

"so..."

With a sly grin, Mayera took the hand of Tatia, who was completely fooled by her lies, and said in a sweet, coquettish voice...

"Brother Tatya...from this day forward, you are my husband."

失策

From the moment Mayella first met Tatia, a plan began to take shape in her mind.

Having arrived alone in a foreign land, completely unfamiliar with human cities and cultures, Mayera had killed many humans along the way. The reason was always the same: Mayera unhesitatingly revealed that she was the daughter of the Demon King.

As a result, the adventurers who heard this almost unanimously shouted, "We've struck it rich!" and "We've done a great service!" and brandished their swords at her, attempting to exchange her head for a life of comfort and security.

Of course, these people soon begged for mercy from Maya, trembling all over, and eventually disappeared from the world without a trace.

These adventurers were nothing to worry about. No matter how many came, Mayera didn't believe they posed any threat. However, rumors of several adventurers mysteriously disappearing gradually spread among them. Many towns dispatched investigators to conduct large-scale searches and interrogations in places Mayera had visited. Inevitably, they all ended up targeting Mayera. Only then did Mayera realize that perhaps she shouldn't have revealed her identity.

From a young age, she was taught to be honest and trustworthy. However, that only applied to the Demon King's castle. After discovering that she was the one who caused the commotion in the castle, Mayera stopped revealing that she was the Demon King's daughter, and instead said that she was just a young lady on a trip... though that wasn't entirely a lie.

Because of her delicate and frail appearance, the investigators didn't really suspect her. The previous incident could be considered a cover-up by Mayella. However, after setting off again, she encountered new problems. Even though there were no more people attacking her because of her identity, she attracted even more people with malicious intentions. After all, her beauty and jeweled attire made her an easy target for thieves.

Left with no other choice, Mayra still chose to kill them. This, in turn, triggered a series of unrest. Rumors like "The murderous monster has moved to another place" practically followed her everywhere, impossible to shake off. And since her aura and the accessories she wore didn't conceal her true identity, as long as Mayra didn't intend to discard these cherished possessions, she would never escape those greedy, lustful individuals.

If I don't kill them, they'll steal my belongings. If I do kill them, they'll find out. What should I do?

"Sigh, if only there were someone who knew my true identity and would still keep it a secret, someone who would step forward to protect me in crucial moments... Does such a person even exist?"

With this thought in mind, she arrived at the main road. There, she witnessed three thieves about to kidnap Tatia.

"Got it!"

In that moment, she finally found a goal that met her expectations.

"Brother Tatya, from today onwards, you are my husband."

"Wh...what!!!"

Taqia, her face flushed redder than the rising sun, made an exaggerated gesture. She shouted this earth-shattering statement at the loudest voice she had ever uttered.

Naked, Mayera watched Tatia's reaction with awkwardness, inwardly already despising her.

"Hmph, so unabashedly displaying your desires after seeing my body. Human men are truly all lewd and barbaric creatures... But so be it~ Even if you pretend to be a gentleman and refuse to act with me, so what? Come on, come on. Be honest with your desires. Fall for my charm!"

She uses her beauty to seduce men, then uses the excuse, "Because of you, I can't get married anymore. So I can only marry you," to deceive men's sympathy and lust. This forces Tatsia to follow her. She uses Tatsia as a cover, a shield, and, if necessary, even a scapegoat to buy herself time to escape.

This is the true purpose of Mayera, who seemingly showers Tatsia with attention and flaunts her beauty, but in reality, treats her entirely as a tool. To this end, she feigns sleep, leaving Tatsia with nowhere to go but to stop and rest at a three-way intersection. Then, while Tatsia sleeps, she goes to the lakeside, undresses, and waits for Tatsia to come looking for her. Now, only one final step remains to achieve her goal.

"What's wrong, Brother Tatya? You were just staring so intently, why are you now avoiding my gaze?"

Even as she screamed, Tatia didn't turn to look at Maya. Maya then resumed her offensive, pressing her wet, delicate body against Tatia's. Sure enough, this elicited an even stronger reaction from Tatia. But Tatia maintained a serious, lecturing posture.

"No, you should at least put your clothes on first! It's really inappropriate for a princess to be like this!"

"Okay~"

He was already completely captivated by her own charm. Her advances were enough to influence Tatia's judgment. Thinking this, Mayera confidently hopped back to where she kept her clothes and put them back on. During this time, Tatia didn't take the opportunity to escape; she simply waited patiently to the side until Mayera finished changing.

"Alright, Tasia, are you satisfied now?"

Tatiana squinted her eyes, still somewhat doubtful, and slowly turned her head back. Only then did she confirm that Mayra hadn't been playing a trick on her, and that she really was dressed. Reassured, she faced Mayra again.

"You really are something... What kind of princess would be so shameless..."

"My name isn't 'You bastard,' it's Nama Mayera. I hope Brother Tatya will remember the name of his future wife~"

"No, I don't want to be your husband!"

Although Mayera rambled on and on, Tatia clearly remembered that she had never agreed to Mayera's dubious and unreasonable request. She waved her hand, making her stance clear.

Even after using the double-edged sword and offering herself as a reward—two weapons almost guaranteed to kill a man—it still couldn't change Tatia's mind? Mayera, somewhat surprised and impatient, asked with a mixture of doubt and anger.

"Why? Haven't I already made myself perfectly clear? You think you can just walk away after defiling me?"

"No, I didn't defile you..."

"No? Although you didn't touch me, you saw my body with your own eyes. As a man, doesn't Brother Taqia have any sense of responsibility or duty?"

"That's assuming I'm actually a man..."

"What?"

Originally, Tatia hadn't planned to reveal her gender to someone who would only be with her for two days, especially the daughter of the Demon King. But now the misunderstanding was deepening, and if she didn't clarify things immediately, she would be unable to defend herself. Getting rid of her would be incredibly difficult. Left with no other choice, Tatia lifted her clothes and then removed the bodice binding her upper body, revealing her not-so-large but somewhat shapely breasts to Mayera.

"But I'm a girl."

"what?"

Mayera uttered a questioning sound.

Looking back, Tatia hadn't actually said she was male. Tatia's face did indeed have a somewhat androgynous appearance. At first, Mayera hesitated a little. But based on her simple, clean-cut clothing—a coarse cloth top and trousers—which was indistinguishable from a man's attire, she presumptuously assumed Tatia was male and called her brother.

The two items Tatiana showed her were actually two sizes larger than Mayra's. Beneath that simple men's clothing lay something even more feminine than Mayra herself. In conclusion, Mayra couldn't help but be astonished.

Another point is that Mayella finally realized at this moment that all her previous actions of selling her body had been in vain.

Shortly after Tatsia's scream, another scream rang out from the lakeside. However, this scream contained no fear or surprise, but rather shame and resentment.

"Hey, what exactly do you want?"

Tatia thought that after the misunderstanding was cleared up, Mayera would only be slightly surprised by her gender, and then completely move on and continue on her way. But in fact, this action seemed to have the opposite effect, adding fuel to the fire of her anger. Mayera immediately turned her head away, huffing and puffing. Even if Tatia tried to get closer to check, Mayera would turn her body away to avoid Tatia's gaze. After this tug-of-war went on for three or four rounds, Tatia finally couldn't help but complain.

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you I was a woman beforehand... but that way I didn't defile you, and you don't have to offer yourself to someone like me, isn't that a good thing? Why are you angry?"

"Offer yourself to me? To you? Bah! I never had such an intention from the beginning!"

"What?"

"I only wanted to use you! I wanted to find a human willing to risk their life for me to take care of me and help me fend off pursuers and bandits! The reason I saved you from the thief and didn't kill you after defeating you was all for this reason! You don't really think I like a filthy creature like you, do you? Disgusting! I feel nauseous even when I'm trying to seduce you!"

"..."

Perhaps out of frustration at her plan falling through, Mayera lost her composure and blurted out all her hidden thoughts. It turned out that in the other person's eyes, she was merely this one person, and behind all her beauty and kindness lay such a sinister and ruthless scheme. This left Tatia speechless for a long time after learning the truth.

At this point, Mayera realized her mission had failed. She would have to find someone else. Not wanting to say another word to Tatia, she silently walked past her. As their figures overlapped, she paused, uttering words of farewell.

"...I promised not to kill you, and I keep my word. If you want to reveal my secrets, that's fine with me. But remember, if things change, I can't guarantee I won't cause trouble in the city. I am immortal; no one in this world can subdue me. If you do, you'll bring annihilation upon humanity. If you don't believe me, why don't you try... That's all, goodbye."

After saying that, Mayera turned to leave. Just then, Tatia suddenly turned around and grabbed Mayera's wrist.

"stop"

"...What else do you want to do?"

Now, Tatsia had nothing more to say to the person who had deceived her feelings. However, there was still one thing Tatsia hadn't confirmed with her.