Chapter 114
It was happening again.
Once again, Miki had tricked Wakako into doing things her way.
They were close to home, practically at the back gate, but it was broad daylight, and they were on horseback…
Wakako’s face flushed a deep red. She wanted to resist, but Miki’s touch made her body melt against her will.
“Let’s wait until we’re in our room,” she whispered, still clinging to her last shred of rationality. “Please?”
Miki gazed into her eyes softly, but her answer showed no mercy: “No.”
Fortunately, their estate was the only one in this area, so no one would see them. But still, they were on horseback…
Miki pressed herself close against the saddle, her hand sliding in deeper. Although Wakako was no stranger to these touches, the intensity this time struck her differently, leaving her breathless.
Every step the horse took caused them to bounce.
Miki leaned against Wakako’s chest, watching her expressions intently. Despite her bold actions, she asked softly, “Do you like it?”
“…”
She immediately put on a slightly hurt expression. “Don’t you like it?”
It wasn’t that Wakako disliked it; she simply couldn’t find the words.
Miki was no longer the delicate saint she once was. Though she still had a graceful frailty, she had gained some strength over time. At least now, Wakako didn’t have to be the one to take initiative every time.
Miki’s eyes sparkled with mischievous allure as she leaned in, her lips grazing Wakako’s cheek. Slowly, she murmured, “I must not be very skilled at this yet… I’ll just have to keep practicing.”
She moved her fingers ever so slightly, whispering each word, “Master Wakako, you’ll have to teach me more.”
“Stop…” Wakako bit her lip, suppressing a broken moan, “Don’t call me that…”
“Why not?”
“There’s… no reason…”
“Others can call you that, but I can’t?”
“You’re just… being unreasonable!”
“Yes.” Miki nodded seriously, resting her head against Wakako’s neck. With each breath, the cherry scent invaded her senses more deeply. “I am being unreasonable. Did you just realize this now?”
She continued, “Master Wakako, Captain, Master Captain, I’ll call you whatever I want.”
“…”
“I’m not very familiar with this position. Won’t the Captain teach me? Tell me exactly what to do.”
Her movements suddenly stopped, leaving Wakako caught in a suspended moment, tears forming in her eyes as she glared at Miki.
Miki remained unmoved.
Between the two of them, it was always Wakako who surrendered completely, her senses overwhelmed by the scent of cherries.
Finally closing her eyes, she whispered into Miki’s ear exactly what she wanted, how she wanted to be touched…
But the mischievous woman wasn’t satisfied: “Is that all? The Captain’s instructions aren’t detailed enough.”
“What… more do you want?”
“Say it again. Slowly, and don’t leave out a single word. Good girl.”
Wakako didn’t dare look down to see how soaked her black clothes had become, nor could she bear to hear the embarrassing words coming from her own mouth.
She never imagined those “crude” words she once thought beneath her would spill from her lips, describing her body in such detail.
“I want you to… touch… there…”
“And I want… you to bite…”
Her little wife would always ask with bright eyes: “Where is ‘there’?”
“…”
How cruel. Miki was far too clever not to know exactly where she meant, but she chose to play innocent, toying with her.
Wakako’s tears welled up for a long time but never fell, each one kissed away by the person in her arms.
“Very good,” she heard Miki say, before the cool fingers were withdrawn and placed against her lips. “Taste yourself.”
Her throat filled with a faint sweetness, the taste of her own sunflower scent.
But upon closer inspection, it was much stronger than usual.
Perhaps it had already been overwhelmed by Miki’s cherry scent.
Even Wakako, accustomed as she was, felt her thighs go numb as they rode.
Yet afterward, she had to act normally returning home, telling the servants with a shake of her head: “I’ll wash it myself.”
Though the saddle was dirty and could have been handled by the servants, Wakako couldn’t bear to let others touch it.
She brought two basins of water to the courtyard and carefully scrubbed the saddle clean.
Though Miki had “taken care of her,” Wakako didn’t feel content—in fact, she felt somewhat troubled.
She thought about her responsibilities as the captain now. There was no way she could completely avoid contact with her squad members.
Even if she touched their hands, shoulders, or arms, it was only for training purposes…
Besides, her squad was mostly made up of Alphas. Accidental touches happened, but no one thought much of it.
Yet such small things made Miki terribly jealous, leaving Wakako anxious. If it was just today, that would be one thing, but if this continued, wouldn’t it make Miki even more unhappy?
She kept her head down, scrubbing while lost in thought, not even noticing Miki’s soft red silhouette sitting quietly beside her.
Miki sat watching quietly.
A mercenary by trade, Wakako was used to handling things herself, and their household only had a few servants for cooking and cleaning. Everything else, the two of them took care of.
Miki’s health had improved, but as a former Saint who’d barely ever lifted a finger, she wasn’t fit for hard labor.
Though she couldn’t help much, she always sat quietly keeping Wakako company.
Miki wanted to say something but held back when their eyes met.
In those familiar eyes, she saw a hint of worry.
In that moment, Miki felt her fingers grow colder, curling slightly as her heartbeat slowed.
It was the first time she’d seen such a complex expression in Wakako’s eyes.
Had she gone too far this time?
Miki knew how unreasonable she could be when her mood took over, but because Wakako always gave in, she’d become increasingly uninhibited with such impulses.
She thought Wakako would forgive her no matter what.
But… now Miki was no longer the Saint, no longer possessed that sharp sensitivity. She couldn’t read Wakako’s emotions from just a glance or touch like before, couldn’t be certain she hadn’t crossed a line.
Now there was only uncertainty and anxiety.
Just that single look had her mind racing.
After ten years of being stubborn and spoiled, even the deepest love might eventually grow tired…
Wakako didn’t notice Miki’s inner struggle, focused instead on scrubbing the saddle until it was spotless.
When she looked up again, Miki showed no sign of her inner turmoil, only offering a tight-lipped smile.
Wakako felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what.
She only remembered that night Miki unusually didn’t ask for more, saying she was tired and wanted to rest early.
As Wakako turned out the lights, she thought perhaps their encounter on horseback had worn Miki out too.
***
The next day, Shen Qianmo didn’t forget the bet she’d made with Senior Lin Lin.
It was the junior’s first time making such an exciting bet. She arrived at the training grounds early the next morning, but her attention kept drifting towards the entrance.
Lin Lin smirked as she practiced her archery, taunting: “It’s not too late to give up. Since you’re young, I’ll give you a discount – just fifty copper coins.”
Captain Wakako usually arrived early, but today she was running a bit late. Though worried, Shen Qianmo refused to back down: “Let’s wait a bit longer!”
Lin Lin wasn’t worried at all, continuing her practice leisurely.
But surprisingly, Shen Qianmo’s patience paid off.
Shortly after, their captain entered the training ground, instructing the apprentices as usual while observing their recent progress.
Wakako already had her eye on a few promising students, her mind preoccupied with evaluations, when she noticed Lin Lin’s expression shift.
Just moments ago, Lin Lin had been cheerful, but her face fell the instant she saw Wakako.
“What are you doing here?” Lin Lin asked with a frown.
“Isn’t it normal for me to be here?” Wakako was puzzled. “What kind of question is that?”
At that, Shen Qianmo’s grin grew wider, barely able to contain her glee.
However, she knew better than to mention gambling in front of the Captain. Even a single silver coin would earn her a reprimand.
So she just smiled and extended her hand to Lin Lin, whispering, “Senior, since I’m still young, I won’t take the discount.”
Lin Lin’s expression was a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. She angrily shot an arrow.
Her master often criticized her lack of strength, but this arrow embedded itself deep into the target. The others struggled to pull it free.
“Wow, Senior Lin Lin, your archery has improved! That’s amazing!”
But Lin Lin felt no joy. She forced a smile that looked worse than crying: “Y-yeah, amazing.”
Then, without a word, she shot Wakako a resentful look, slammed down her bow, and stormed off.
Wakako asked Shen Qianmo in confusion: “Did I do something to upset her?”
Shen Qianmo giggled, shrugging innocently: “Who knows?”
But in her mind, she was already celebrating her victory. One silver coin, here I come!
Wakako thought for a moment and decided that Lin Lin’s strange behavior was probably just the mood swings of someone approaching presentation age.
Kids that age were always unpredictable. A good sparring session might just be the cure.
…
Meanwhile, Lin Lin was nearly fuming with frustration, her mind spinning as she went to the bathhouse to cool down with a splash of cold water.
Losing the bet wasn’t the worst of it. What really stung was that her brief stint of feeling like a senior was now shattered in front of Shen Qianmo. How was she supposed to keep up her reputation as a senior apprentice after this?
How infuriating!
But no matter how much she fumed, Lin Lin couldn’t quite make sense of her loss. As she washed, her thoughts wandered.
She knew Captain Wakako’s training occasionally required physical contact with the team. With Miki’s possessive nature, it was hard to imagine her not getting upset. So why had she been spared today?
Something felt… off.
And the more Lin Lin thought about it, the more it bothered her.
