Chapter 278 - 278. Turning Away, and Not Turning Away (Fam☆)
I just wanted it to end. I didn’t have the strength to lift my head, and even opening my eyes felt too heavy. The man was gazing at me with pity. Sometimes he showed up, but he’d always leave. At least, that’s how it seemed. I closed my eyes, certain that, if I just waited, I would see Mom and Dad soon. But the man didn’t leave. He started negotiating a price. What’s he planning after buying someone like me? A cold shiver ran down my spine as I thought about being held—it was bad enough I was probably dirty, and I must even smell awful. Please, no one touch me. Not anymore. The man was frantic, his pulse fast, his hands sweaty. But also… warm. For a moment, I felt like I was back in the village. And I was grateful to be in his arms.
Fam kept talking about everything that had happened since we met—whether she was preparing food, eating, or just talking. Sometimes she laughed, sometimes she puffed out her cheeks, and sometimes she stumbled over her words. She told stories about the times we walked through the shopping streets of Richelle, the times we hunted for herbs and were ambushed by monsters, the time we saved the goblin-occupied village, the time we were shocked to meet the Goddess Racshell, and the time we were nearly bound in straw ropes after challenged to a duel and planning on acting tough. She mentioned how she got mad at me for forgiving our enemies too easily. Fam soaked her bread in soup, slurped her tea, and then started talking again. I just listened and gave her occasional nods. The stories were exaggerated and sometimes embellished, but I wasn’t about to mock her or make unnecessary jokes. Only Mash and Fam were in this house. But she knew she had someone who wanted to hear her stories. Listening to Fam, I realized how full of life she was, how curious, how a little strange, still a child, just a girl who cared about people and herself. All of that had been cultivated right here. And once again, I understood the depth of her sorrow. Imagining it became unbearable. Can I even make her happy? Was I even allowed to touch her emotions? Just as I was thinking this, Fam stopped talking.
"Master?"
"Hm? What is it?"
I brought the spoon to my mouth. The soup had cooled slightly.
"Why are you making such a weird face while I’m talking?"
"This is my resting face. You fell in love with a guy who makes such strange expressions. Give up on it."
Master is a pervert, but he's not ugly. So please stop making a weird face.
I smirked at her and scratched my cheek. "Why do the men in your stories get such a favorable light?"
"Well, Master is cool. Also, please be quiet." Fam continued her story.
The room Fam showed me was small.
"This is my room."
Night had already fallen. Starlight softly illuminated the room without a ceiling. Fam’s lamp added a blue glow, giving it a dim, chilly atmosphere, but with red warmth. But the roof was broken, the window frames were gone, and weeds grew from the gaps in the floor. Fam picked up a vase that had fallen on the floor, checked that it wasn’t broken, and placed it on the desk. Some books had also fallen. I helped her pick them up, and we put them back on the bookshelf. They were damp, heavy, and smelled musty. We couldn't close them properly, so we just placed them on the books Fam had stacked up. I glanced out the window and saw houses with unlit lights standing sparsely, with a bonfire flickering in the distance. Mizuki and the others were camping outside. The village still held a strong scent of life. But there wasn’t anyone living here. An indescribable feeling swelled up inside me.
"I wanted to sleep in a bed tonight, but I guess that’s impossible…"
The bedding was also damp. She must have been stripped of her blankets and taken away by thieves. As if trying to erase those memories, she folded the sodden sheets and placed them on the bed. She must have been sick, sleeping here thanks to her guardian deity’s curse. I pulled out a blanket from storage and spread it on the floor. We lay down together on it. I was on my back, Fam facing away, clinging tightly, curled up in a ball. I remember we used to sleep side-by-side like this when we first met. Various autumn insects chirped around us. Fam’s breathing was faint under it. She was curled up like a kitten, but she wasn’t sleeping either. Sleep eluded me too. I clasped my hands behind my head and stared at the night sky.
"Master… aren’t you sleeping?"
I remembered she’d said she only slept after waiting for me to start snoring. Tonight, I should just go to sleep quickly. I tried to say something, but my voice caught.
"Why do such things keep happening to me...?"
Fam muttered, her nose running.
"Why did we do… whatever it is that we did?"
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
"Fam… being right, trying to be honest, trying to be fair, being kind, being gentle… you have it all. You learned it in this house… no, in this village, and lived by it. But it doesn't matter. Sounds cold, but you can’t protect people that way. There are people with different ways of thinking. You can’t deny them. It’s impossible."
"I know that. I’ve been traveling with Master this whole time. I’ve fought countless enemies with Master. I’ll become stronger. More and more. I’ll protect Master. I won’t make the same mistake again. I don’t want to be alone anymore."
"Fam…"
I soothed her, stroking her back with my hand as her shoulders quivered again.
"Even if you become stronger, nothing will change. Someone stronger will come along. You and I will never be the best."
"Does that mean even after all of this, you just give up and stay with me?"
I crossed her hands with my own and she looked at me in the dark. Her eyelashes sparkled with night dew. "I can see through that. I’m not staying because of anything like that. But before this, you wanted to turn away from us."
"Turning away isn't the same as giving up. I know that after fulfilling your duty in this world, you'll go back to your original world, right?"
"I told you, I’m staying in this world. I want to be with you." Fam squeezed my hand. Slowly, she looked into my eyes, then leaned forward to kiss me. I flinched, stopping her with a hand to her forehead.
"Hey, why are you avoiding me?"
"Is it okay? It’s… we’re in your house, aren’t we?"
I hesitated, but Fam suddenly sat up and straddled me. Then she looked down at me. "It’s fine. Dad and Mom surely had days when they became friends. They always tried to make me go to bed early on those days. No matter how much I protested, they wouldn't listen. I used to not understand. But I'm not a child anymore. I want to be with you like that in this house." Fam leaned over me, kissing me.
I kissed her back, wrapping my arms around her. Before, the insect chirps had never stopped, but now it was just Fam’s breathing. "Master…" She raised her face, looking at me. Something trickled onto my chest—tears? But a smile spread across her face.
"Mom and Dad will be surprised if they see us. I have to make sure I don't make a sound."
"Is that so? Then I should probably gag you."
We exchanged suggestive words, trading kisses. Armﾆﾆ around my neck like claws. Then we pulled at each other with intense desire.
"Hnn... Master…"
Listening to her breathy voice, mixed with soft moans, I reached out and traced her breasts. They were small and tight, not fully developed, yet firm—tense in my hands. I tried to take off her clothes, wanting to see more, but she brushed my hands away, already slipping off her own underwear. She also freed the front of my clothing until my things popped out. "Master... you're already hard..."
Pointing out the obvious thing, I needed to test based on her statement though. Her cherry blossom colored nub was sensative and her initial body response was reflexive. She blinked Her cherry blossom colored nub was sensative and her initial body response was reflexive. She blinked— {
Fam stopped suddenly, her voice trembling. A rush of warmth enveloped me to the root of me shaft. "Ah… Master…" Her breath was short, unsteady. She held me tightly, never letting go. I couldn't hold back any longer, bucking from below, making Fam gasp and open her eyes wide. Then she started rocking her hips. "A-ahhh… Master… it… it feels so good…" Her limbs, bathed in starlight, looked pale and almost translucent. Her skin reflected the light, looking cool and pure, but it felt warm. I held her waist, matching my rhythm to hers, moving my hips to hers. "A-ah, ah… Master, I'm almost…" Fam moaned, gazing at the sky with a blissful expression. She wasn’t consciously looking at anything in particular. But she seemed to be staring at the stars of the same shade of blue as her own eyes, surrounded by flickering lights. "Master, I'm almost…" Her eyes brimmed with tears, her gaze softer than usual. "Me too." I wrapped my arms around her, listening to our ragged breathing, and thrust hard, deeper, into her. Fam received it all, clenching her muscles tightly so that nothing slipped out. "Fam!"
I shouted her name, unleashing all my pent-up desire into her. "A-ahhhhhhhh!"
She arched her back in a sharp, powerful movement. I held her wrists down until the pulsing faded. We lay there on our backs, side by side. Our heavy breathing gradually slowed, and the insect sounds returned. The night sky was still filled with the same stars, but I couldn’t find the one that matched Fam’s eyes from before. Would she leave me someday, just like that distant star? The thought filled me with uncertainty. "I’ll get stronger. I’ll protect you. Always together."
Fam seemed to understand my worries as she spoke quietly, clutching my hand tighter. "M-Master?"
"What’s wrong?"
I noticed her turning towards me, but I continued to gaze at the sky. "Fam."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Tell me about your time in this village—you know, how you spent your days." "Are you sure? You'll stay awake all night?"
"That's fine." "I have a request too."
"What is it?"
"I want to hear your story. I want to know how you lived in your world." "I'd have to talk all night. And it’s boring. You'd fall asleep while I’m talking."
"Nah, I won't sleep! I'll stay awake!" I turned my head to find Fam's face right beside me. We looked into each other's eyes and smiled naturally.
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