As for me, it was a pleasant sight to behold, but the Captain, who was covering himself with just a towel, didn’t seem to feel the same way.

When my gaze met his, his cheeks and neck turned red with embarrassment.

Even though we had already seen everything there was to see of each other.

Being rather prudish, he seemed uncomfortable being the only one undressed and started making excuses.

“They don’t provide robes here. If only we were at a more upscale hotel…”

“This inn was the only lodging in town, so we had no choice. Besides, I don’t mind it at all.”

Saying that, I slowly lowered my gaze.

To his tightly packed chest muscles, and then to his abs…

The well-shaped muscles twitched each time my gaze touched them.

When I raised my head again to look at the Captain’s face, he was also staring intently at me.

It didn’t take long for the heat born from embarrassment to turn into excitement.

He soon approached me and began to caress my slightly damp hair.

“You don’t mind? Are you saying it’s alright for your superior to be exposing himself in such an inappropriate state in front of you?”

“Ah, it’s certainly against the knight’s code of conduct. Just a towel without any underwear. Anyone would see it as a violation of military discipline.”

He let out a light laugh at my joke and replied.

“This is troublesome. All my clothes are at the laundry, so I have nothing to wear. It seems I’ll have to spend tonight with you in this state…”

“Oh my, you should have packed extra shirts like I did.”

“I did, but I changed them once a day, so they’re all dirty now. Unlike you, I can’t bear to wear the same dust-covered outfit for days.”

“…Are you going to say such mood-killing things?”

“I’m sorry. Let’s continue what we were doing.”

After a brief apology, he soon pushed me onto the bed and slowly climbed on top.

His calloused fingertips tickled my face, neck, and the softly raised mounds.

His low, cool voice also crept into my ear, tickling my insides.

“As the captain of the glorious Silver Knights, it might not be appropriate to say this, but how about we forget about boring things like regulations and spend the night committing acts of indiscipline together…?”

“Wow, I never imagined I’d hear the Captain speak like that in my life. If the other members heard you say that, they’d faint!”

“So, you don’t like it?”

“No, I do.”

I smiled softly and slowly moved my hands to unbutton my shirt.

The Captain’s gaze followed each button as it came undone, one by one.

The desire in his eyes grew deeper with each movement of my hands.

When the buttons were half undone, revealing the hidden skin, he immediately lowered his head and kissed it.

Curling my toes at the hot and ticklish sensation, I replied.

“Indulging in misconduct with a superior, sounds good. Let’s violate military discipline all night long.”

As if that was the signal, he began to kiss me more persistently.

The hot breath and lips that had been lingering on my stomach continued to torment me so insistently, moving lower and lower.

The pieces of cloth that had been covering our bodies had somehow disappeared.

Early dawn.

Leaving the still sleeping Captain in bed, I got up first and put on my shirt.

When I opened the window, the sticky moisture and heat that had filled the room all night instantly dissipated.

As I felt the cool morning breeze, I recalled last night.

Perhaps because it was right after experiencing death and returning, my body reacted much more intensely than usual when I embraced him last night.

Even the smallest kiss made my hair stand on end as if electrified, and my fingertips and toes curled.

I remembered trembling every time his lips touched my sensitive spots.

Was that why?

Last night, the Captain also engaged in the act more intensely than usual.

I vividly recalled how he gritted his teeth and moved forcefully, pushing me to the edge.

His excited appearance, usually so calm, gave me quite a satisfying feeling.

So, as I was reminiscing about that satisfying night in my head.

“Are you awake?”

The Captain, who had woken up following me, asked in a still sleepy voice.

I immediately turned to him and replied.

“Yes, somehow my eyes opened early.”

“You still have the energy to wake up early? Then maybe we could do a bit more?”

“Let’s refrain from that. We didn’t have a moment’s rest all night yesterday. Even my body’s endurance has its limits. And most importantly—”

“Right, we have somewhere to go.”

The Captain got up from the bed, finishing the sentence I was about to say.

After stretching his well-sculpted muscles this way and that, he muttered softly.

“We need to lift your curse as soon as possible.”

It’s a situation where a life-threatening curse has been cast.

As the Captain said, we needed to hurry as much as possible.

So instead of pulling me back to bed, he approached with a regretful look and left a kiss on my forehead.

It was a light, fleeting kiss, so the warmth that had permeated my skin disappeared as soon as his lips left.

As I touched my forehead, feeling sorry that it was gone, the Captain whispered quietly.

“I’ll free you from the curse soon.”

“Yes, I believe you. You’ve never lied to me before.”

“Of course. I can promise that on my honor or anything else.”

At that moment, I could know with absolute certainty that he would lift my curse someday.

That’s why I also made a decision.

Until that day comes, if nothing else, I would somehow manage to keep my life intact.

Despite the Captain’s serious tone when he said, “We need to lift your curse as soon as possible,” we ended up staying in the village for two more days.

It was such a small village that we couldn’t find new horses to ride there.

We had no choice but to wait two more days until our tired horses recovered.

And what we did during that time… could be defined in one word.

We played.

In a situation where nothing productive would come from being anxious.

We decided to just put aside complicated thoughts and play until we could set off again.

For that reason, we rented out the village’s only lodging entirely and played there all night long, all day long.

Of course, we didn’t need any other playthings.

We became each other’s playthings.

Especially, exploring each other’s bodies was a very enjoyable game.

He explored and learned where to kiss me to make me let out ecstatic exclamations.

I, too, could properly learn which parts of him to touch to please him.

From our hair to our toes, there wasn’t a place untouched by each other’s lips and hands.

It was such a sweet time that every minute and second felt precious.

However, time is mischievous; the more enjoyable and sweet it felt, the faster it seemed to pass us by.

Two days went by in an instant, and during that time, the horses had also recovered to some extent.

Finally, the day we had to leave arrived.

“Now we really have to go.”

“It seems so. We’ve delayed too much.”

A long sigh escaped my lips without my realizing it.

The Captain approached me and suddenly lowered his head.

His heated lips pressed against my earlobe, melting into it.

When he lightly bit my plump flesh with his teeth, a tingling sensation spread to the extremities of my body.

Hearing a slightly wet breath escape from me, the Captain smiled and whispered.

“Gritplus is called the city of pleasure, isn’t it?”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, there will be lots of fun things to do when we get there.”

I seemed to have vaguely heard about that too.

Gritplus, known as the desert city.

Although its land might be barren, its culture has blossomed, earning it the name of the city of joy.

The Captain whispered this in my ear, comforting me.

“I’m quite looking forward to it. Let’s continue what we couldn’t finish here when we arrive there.”

“That’s a good plan. It’s motivating.”

After lightly kissing his cheek, I mounted the horse.

The city of pleasure.

Even if it weren’t for the curse, it seemed a destination worth visiting.

When we get there, we would be able to indulge in all sorts of lascivious acts we’ve never experienced before.

After that, we started riding our horses again.

We arrived in Gritplus three days later, in the evening, when the sunset was dyeing the golden sand with a lovely red hue.