It didn't take long for the silence to settle in as Claire rested beside me.
Just a minute later, a knock on the door broke through that same silence.
Licia: "Um... Sorry, Miwen... You were really quiet, so I thought it was over...?"
She came right after Claire and I had finished.
Almost as if she had been listening the entire time.
I glanced towards Licia and, next to her, I found a few stains on the floor.
Licia: "Hehe~ Claire doesn't mind..."
She wore an awkward smile, scratching her head.
Claire: "Mhmmh... I do though..."
The pillows muffled Claire's voice as she lay facing them.
Licia: "But you did the same!"
Claire: "Uhnng...!"
I couldn't hear her response, but it sounded like she disagreed.
Tapping the bed, I asked Licia to join us.
As she entered the blanket, I held Claire and her, patting both of them on the head.
Licia: "So... Why is she like that?"
She looked concerned for Claire, who lay completely limp, struggling to so much as turn her face from the pillow she'd grabbed.
Even though we had only done it for about an hour, she looked completely defeated, mumbling at the pillow.
Miwen: "Turns out she's pretty weak."
I patted Claire's butt, and she reacted as if a shock had run through her.
Claire: "W-Who are you... calling weak!?"
Miwen: "Right, I guess sensitive is the better word."
She barely had any energy left, but she still chose to waste it protecting her pride.
Even though there was no denying it...
Licia: "Hm... Well, you must've had fun since you ended so soon..."
Leaning closer to my chest, Licia winked.
She held my hand and faced Claire, but there was no reaction until...
Miwen: "Yeah, I'd even like to do more, but-"
Claire: "A-Ah...! Get away from my ass! Licia...! Save me...!"
Just the thought alone was enough to make Claire shift around, doing her best to keep her rear as far away from my hand as possible.
Even though I didn't even get to punish Claire's butt all the way through, Licia glared hard at me.
Sensing that my life was in danger, I changed subjects.
Miwen: "Since you've recovered now, could you stand up for a little while? I wanna change the sheets..."
While I didn't mind cuddling and sleeping with Claire like this, it wasn't fair to make Licia sleep in the sheets we'd dirtied.
Licia: "...Though it is fine."
Claire and I stood up to dress ourselves, and I thought I heard Licia whisper something to herself, but I couldn't quite figure out what she was talking about.
Miwen: "Guess we can continue from where we left off now..."
Claire: "I guess..."
The two of us returned to the bed, but Licia stood still, tilting her head.
Miwen: "C'mon, you join too."
Licia: "Eh? No, I-"
Seeing how I started stroking Claire's hair, Licia understood I didn't mean to resume the sex.
Her face had flushed red, but she still hesitantly joined us.
Claire: "...Do you remember where I stopped?"
Her fingers were running circles on my chest.
Meanwhile, Licia started wrapping my arm around her shoulders, as if it were her pillow.
Miwen: "You said you were a duke's daughter..."
Claire: "That's because you already knew that!"
Before Licia entered the room, Claire tried telling me a little about herself, before she was summoned.
However, most of what she said was muffled as she spoke through the pillow.
Claire: "Hmph! I guess it can't be helped... I'll start from the beginning, so make sure to pay attention this time!"
Seeing her return to her usual self brought a smile to Licia and me.
Still, knowing that Claire's story would end with her dying so young, Licia held my hand tight.
Claire: "Well, it's not as tragic as Licia's..."
Hearing that didn't bring me any relief.
Especially since the longing look in her eyes contradicted it.
Claire: "Back then, I was the daughter of the most respected family in all of the Lunaria Kingdom, the Ashbrodd House."
She closed her eyes and puffed her chest.
Then, she looked me in the eye, as if expecting a strong reaction.
Miwen: "Sounds impressive...?"
Since Claire was so strong, I gave her a lot of credit.
However, she usually took pride even in the smallest things, so it was hard to judge what her words meant.
Claire: "...My father was known as 'Lunaria's Sword'. He led our territory's army to victory against neighboring countries for years, conquering so much land for the royal family that at some point, our duchy didn't border any foreign nation!"
Seemingly dissatisfied with my reaction, she started boasting even more.
Licia: "Uwah?! That's incredible!"
Claire: "It is!"
I nodded silently.
Those achievements were stacking quickly enough that even I recognized their value, even without anything tangible to compare them to.
Claire: "Throughout the continent, there wasn't a single man who could defeat Daddy in a duel-"
She covered her mouth, her eyes averting ours.
Licia and I pretended not to have heard it, and despite her flushed face, she continued as if nothing had happened.
Claire: "...Many knights conceded even before facing his blade. Just the heat emanating from his sword silenced his rivals..."
After seeing Hamperlon's magic artillery against the Snow White Wolves, I knew just how decisive overwhelming magical firepower could be.
If her father was as strong as she made him to be, I could see how he'd have conquered so many territories.
Though there was something I couldn't quite understand about her story.
Miwen: "Why didn't your father take the conquered territories for himself?"
Claire: "Our duchy was already the second largest in the Lunaria Kingdom even before Father assumed the title, thanks to the close relationship we had with the royal family..."
I raised my brows at that, and her lips curled into a smile.
Claire: "If we grew even more, we'd risk breaking the balance of power. A duchy as strong as ours could easily cause a rebellion or a coalition among the other duchies, not to mention strike fear into the royal family, leading to unjust punishments..."
Newly conquered territories were bound to cause problems, so prioritizing reputation and standing among the inner realms of their kingdom made sense to me.
However, wouldn't the royal family stripping him of the titles he conquered already be cause for a rebellion?
She did say they had a close relationship, so... Maybe there were specifics I wasn't getting.
Claire: "Father was adamant about a few territories, though. Us having no neighbors wasn't a coincidence. It led us to great stability! And well... Father used to say it gave him time to spend enjoying the sweet side of life with Mom..."
Redrawing maps just to enjoy time with his wife? I couldn't tell whether he was brilliant or a madman.
Though if Claire's mother resembled her, even if a tiny bit, I'd totally understand.
Besides, that attitude of getting done as quickly as possible just to laze around with the extra time... I had already seen it in Claire herself.
Maybe like her, he wasn't an overachiever, just someone trying their best to get home as fast as possible...
Of course, being with his loved one made much more sense than rushing ahead just to be with the TV.
I could only imagine how much worse Claire would be if... she had a husband waiting at home?
Maybe I made a big mistake sleeping with her?
Claire: "Since they spent so much time together, by the time I was eighteen, Mom gave birth to his heir. And then she had another son just a year later. I also had an older sister, so... Mom was also pretty strong in her own way..."
Yeah. I definitely made a mistake.
While I thought having such a big family would be nice, hearing about how loving Claire's family tended to be, Licia faced me with begging eyes.
Suddenly, being sandwiched between the two started worrying me a little.
Miwen: "Things seemed to be going pretty well for your family..."
Claire: "You could say that, but for me, it was a pretty bad turn of events..."
She stopped for a second, grabbing my arm and wrapping it around her shoulder just like Licia.
Instead of holding my hand, Claire leaned closer against my chest, gazing away from me.
Claire: "Father thought Mom's second pregnancy would lead to a boy to inherit his title, so he had my sister engaged with another noble's son before in exchange for an alliance with their rich family..."
He was left without an heir.
Considering the age gap between Claire and her brothers, he probably counted on her mother being young and capable for a long time, but for eighteen years to go without having any children... that must've been a big problem for him.
At least it made more sense why he wasn't worried about territories and instead sought stability.
He needed the time with his wife.
Claire: "Since Sis was engaged, Father chose me as the heir... So, from an early age, he trained me to inherit the land and silence the opposition."
Even though that must've been a lot to ask of a young girl, I caught a glimpse of a nostalgic smile on Claire's lips.
Maybe she was a bit of a daddy's girl.
Claire: "Well, my Gift was pretty strong, so I managed to acquire quite the reputation. Even more so when I pulverized a large stretch of a forest to get rid of some pesky bandits causing trouble in our territory."
That nostalgic smile grew into a terrifying one as her eyes flared.
I could feel the heat emanating from her body as she remembered the episode.
Licia: "Oh... Is that how you got your nickname?"
Every time Claire spoke about power, Licia's eyes sparkled, and she leaned closer, listening attentively.
Claire: "Pretty much! Once I discovered their hideout, I shot a pillar of flames so massive that it separated the forest into two sides, leaving the soil between them completely scorched!"
For some reason, she used my chest to reenact the scene, running her fingers through it.
Claire: "They had to remake a bunch of maps because of that. Amazing, right!?"
Licia: "Mm-hm... Sounds cool..."
Her reaction was softer than mine, yet Claire seemed to enjoy it more.
It was almost like the two were talking between themselves, especially since they were both hugging me tight.
Meanwhile, I was left wondering if that forest wasn't important for her duchy.
I suppose she had cleared a path for a road, at least...
Miwen: "Didn't your father say anything about that?"
She tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face.
Claire: "He said 'good job', and also... 'No one will challenge you now'..."
She tried mimicking her father's deep voice, nodding to herself about her achievement.
I was at a loss for words and looked at Licia, but she didn't seem as concerned about Claire's family's happy-go-lucky attitude toward their daughter.
If anything, she seemed deeply interested in hearing more, her eyes fully fixed on Claire.
Claire: "The royal family heard the rumors and put me to use in the army several times after that. Every fortress that I burned down earned me a handsome reward, and eventually, the king himself knighted me."
Miwen: "Hah..."
A sigh escaped me.
I just couldn't believe she got enabled again.
Worse, they were actively rewarding her for it.
Miwen: "Things were going your way, then?"
Claire: "I thought so too, at the time... But looking back, it wasn't that good..."
The sheets rustled as she shifted around.
No matter how much she tried, it seemed like she couldn't find a comfortable position.
Eventually, she laid almost all of her weight on me, letting her legs and chest rest against my body.
Claire: "The life I was living... It was originally meant for my sister."
She was barely audible, speaking into the void.
Claire: "Discipline was never my thing, either... I learned it with time, or at least, enough to follow orders and behave properly as the duke's daughter, but... Whenever someone wasn't looking, I'd just go back to slacking off..."
Wrapping her legs around mine, Claire started pulling me toward her.
I couldn't answer without turning from Licia, so instead, I laid a hand on her waist, letting her rest on me.
Claire: "Because of my position, Father would scare off anyone trying to approach me, and I wasn't allowed to attend any party with male attendees..."
She started rubbing her face on my chest.
Her smile was slowly fading, but she still held on to it.
Claire: "The few friends I had always talked about how much fun they had in their escapades, and even Sis loved talking about her husband and their marriage... S-So that's why I was curious, okay? I-It's not like I meant those things I told you... K-Kinda..."
Despite the outburst of excuses, that confession seemed to put her more at ease.
While I'd normally tease her about it, this felt like something that had been eating away at her for the longest time, and I couldn't bring myself to make fun of it.
If anything, I was glad I gave her an enjoyable first time, even if not everything happened the way she imagined it would.
Claire: "Those times weren't too bad. But when my brothers were born... I felt like I had lost my purpose. Now that Father had a proper heir, I had no reason to prove myself. I wouldn't even make for a good substitute since another boy was born not long after."
Licia: "Oh..."
Licia and I had pretty much the same reaction.
It wasn't anyone's fault, and it might've even been a good thing overall, but...
She had it rough.
Claire: "I was a little lost, I guess... I had wasted the chance to be a proper lady, so... I tried working harder to distract myself."
She lowered her face, hiding her eyes from our view.
Claire: "But one day... My brothers were kidnapped. And then... The final act of my life began."
A forced chuckle escaped her.
Meanwhile, something didn't click for me, and I narrowed my eyes.
Miwen: "...How were your brothers kidnapped? Wasn't your father incredibly strong?"
She slowly shook her head.
Claire: "An underground organization paid two maids to kidnap them while Father was away for a council meeting with His Majesty. Their plan was pretty elaborate... We couldn't have prevented it without knowing in advance."
A slow, deep sigh escaped her.
Licia: "To kidnap two kids from such a distinguished family..."
We seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
I'd rather take the money and run rather than risk facing Claire and her father. Even if it meant getting in trouble with the organization, I'd take my chances with them.
Maybe their minds were clouded by the money...
Claire: "We searched for days until our leads pointed us to two possible hideouts. So while I searched one, I sent almost all of my troops to search the other..."
Dividing her forces like this probably wasn't the brightest choice, but with the lives of her two baby brothers on the line, I doubt she was thinking straight.
If anything, she sounded desperate.
Claire: "I encountered fierce resistance in a sacred forest that stood between the borders of the Lunaria Kingdom and two other powerful nations..."
Her voice was starting to tremble.
I could tell where this was going just from her tone.
Claire: "I eventually received news that my brothers were found in the other location, but... We were ambushed when preparing to leave."
She clenched her fist, and Licia landed a hand over hers.
Claire: "They surrounded us. Cut off our retreat and... One by one, the few people I brought with me were killed, until only I remained standing."
She overestimated herself.
I knew all that enabling was bad for her.
And what the hell did she mean by her story not being as tragic? She had gone through a lot...
Claire: "I had no choice, and ended up launching a blast that burned yet another forest to the ground. But this time, I lost control and ended up destroying everything in sight..."
Miwen: "I'm sorr-"
Huh?
That wasn't how I thought it would go.
Miwen: "Wait... You won? How many people were you facing?"
Claire: "Fufu! A little over one hundred men, give or take?"
Licia: "Woah..."
She finally got the reaction she wanted from me.
That sounded absurd, regardless of context.
She was even cheeky enough to press under my chin, closing my open mouth.
Even though Licia was the same...
Miwen: "Alright... How many men did you bring with you?"
Claire: "We were six, me included."
A nervous laugh escaped me.
Just how strong was she back then?
Miwen: "But you said this was the final act of your life, so... What happened?"
She took a deep breath, pulling the blanket over us.
A second passed, her face heating up.
Claire: "That forest was pretty special, you see? It was a gift the Gods gave our world after a Divine Event..."
Miwen: "You're not telling me a God descended to punish you... Right?"
By this point, that would barely shock me.
However, she shook her head with a smile.
Claire: "That would've been cool, but no. The church viewed the forest as a holy site. They created a hunting squad composed of executioners, exorcists, and holy knights to hunt me. They also pressured the neighboring countries to join as well..."
Miwen: "...Were they the ones who killed you?"
She nodded.
Claire: "I tried going home, but... You know..."
She was forcing herself to smile again.
Claire: "It was better to disinherit and denounce me. That way, my family wouldn't be punished for my crimes..."
It didn't seem like she noticed, but tears started welling up in her eyes.
While she stared blankly forward, Licia turned her gaze to me, her eyes also welling up.
I couldn't believe that after she gave up her entire life to fill a position she didn't even want, her father would abandon her to the wolves.
There wasn't much I could do, but still...
I wiped their tears, gently caressing the girls.
Claire: "Haha... Well... It wasn't all that bad... Sis got a carriage for me. It was supposed to take me somewhere far away in secret, but... I got found and..."
She sniffled, rubbing her eyes.
The words were starting to get caught in her throat.
Claire: "This time, I was facing fifty knights, famous adventurers, and even people with high positions within the church... With more reinforcements to come, I didn't really stand a chance..."
She cleared her throat, forcing the words out.
Claire: "But don't you dare think I went down quietly! I took at least five of them with me! If not for the healers, I might've even gotten more!"
Licia and I knew she was forcing herself.
We could not bring ourselves to pretend it was fine the same way Claire did.
Licia: "That's... I'm sorry..."
She closed her eyes, lowering her head.
Claire: "I-It's fine! I did what I thought was right, and I faced the consequences for it. I don't regret anything!"
The room fell silent again.
Licia and I were still processing everything.
Claire: "Well... maybe there's one thing..."
Still caressing her, I turned my gaze toward Claire.
Miwen: "That being...?"
Claire: "When Mia first entered the Dungeon, she tried looking for a gate to return to her old world, right? I... When I came to this world, a part of me didn't want that.... I thought it was because I was satisfied with how things ended, but..."
She started fidgeting with her fingers.
But then, she faced me in the eye.
Claire: "The more I think about it now, if I ever went back to my old world... I guess I'd thank Dad for everything he has done for me, and ask him to visit me sometimes, but I wouldn't really want to come back... since I think I found the place where I belong..."
It wasn't the first time I heard words like these.
However, the impact was the same.
Licia wore a gentle smile on her face, and even Claire seemed calmer now.
I thought about it a lot.
About the responsibility I held over the girls. About the things I was offering them. About what I was asking from them.
Thanks to Licia and Claire, I was confident in what I had been doing.
Their confessions brought me immense peace.
Enough that I could reassure them as well.
Claire: "D-Don't get ahead of yourself, though! I'm just saying I like it here. Not that I like you or anything... W-Well, you're not bad, and I enjoy spending time with you, but... I mean-"
I gave her gentle headpats.
Licia seemed jealous, so I gave her some as well.
Miwen: "You know it's not fair when you act all cute like that..."
Claire: "Mm-hnm... Don't call me cute..."
The two girls went to sleep, resting against me.
It was slightly different from the previous nights we slept together.
Claire was exhausted and slept like a baby, mumbling about how she didn't like me but also didn't hate me.
Licia also fell into a deep sleep, giving me kisses on the neck and cheek while chuckling to herself.
Meanwhile, I kept awake for a little longer, thinking.
Claire's story was odd.
Something about it didn't seem to add up.
Maybe my feelings for her were getting in the way of my judgment, but I couldn't shake this feeling that there was something fishy about how everything went down.
I fell asleep without ever coming to terms with this thought.