Hikari did not say much. He simply turned around silently, bent down, picked up the pieces of fabric scattered across the floor, walked over to Yoshino Ayaka, and helped her put her clothes back on, piece by piece.
Hikari's movements were very polite and gentle. His considerate and proper manner already made Yoshino Ayaka feel as if she were bathed in a spring breeze, with not a single fault to find.
But in the process of helping her dress, their skin inevitably came into contact again.
The familiar warmth returned, and Yoshino Ayaka could not control her heartbeat from jumping and her cheeks from burning.
Only when her clothes were finally all back on and she had resumed the dignified appearance of an upper-class lady did Yoshino Ayaka let out a long breath and settle down completely.
She braced herself against the tatami and stood up, but her legs were still somewhat weak and sore. The moment she steadied herself, she swayed and leaned against Hikari's side.
Hikari also reached out and gently supported her slender arm to keep her from falling.
Feeling the solid support beside her, Yoshino Ayaka calmed down completely.
Seeing that her expression had relaxed, Hikari asked, "How are you feeling now, Miss Yoshino? Are you all right?"
"I'm... I'm all right...", Yoshino Ayaka nodded quickly to show that she was fine.
Then she bit her lip and immediately began to thank him, "Hikari-kun... I really can't thank you enough for what happened today..."
"It was you who sacrificed yourself... to remove the filth from my soul..."
"You... you saved me again..."
As she thanked him, Yoshino Ayaka could not help recalling, in her mind, the scenes of the two of them performing the Queen's Ritual earlier.
Looking at Hikari's exceptionally handsome face, at those solid arms that could hold her entire body in the air for an hour, recalling those clear and embarrassing scenes, Yoshino Ayaka could not help blushing.
Yet deep inside, she still harbored a strong lingering attachment and reluctance.
After all, that feeling had been far too satisfying.
It was a happiness and satisfaction she had never experienced from birth until now.
Her marriage had been a family alliance. Only after marrying did she learn that her husband was naturally deficient, and she had never experienced such a sensation. She could only amuse herself in her spare time.
It was only today that she had found, through Hikari, the meaning of being a woman.
Seeing Yoshino Ayaka's entire face flushed red as blood as she thanked him, hesitating and fidgeting, Hikari more or less understood what she was thinking.
But regarding Yoshino Ayaka's inner conflict, Hikari did not say much about her entanglement.
Instead, he directly exposed the dark side of the Queen's Society and said to her bluntly, "Miss Yoshino, there was actually no filth in your soul."
"And what I just helped you remove was not filth from your soul either, it was the toxin of the Awakening Orchid incense."
Since he had already performed the Queen's ritual with Yoshino Ayaka and needed to obtain Queen's Power from her to counter the evil god Itsuki Shima, Hikari wanted to make her recognize the true face of the Queen's Society as well.
"Awakening orchid incense? Toxin?", Yoshino Ayaka was completely baffled by these unfamiliar terms Hikari was saying. Her charming, beautiful face was filled with confusion.
Hikari asked the thoroughly confused Yoshino Ayaka in return, "Miss Yoshino, every time you enter the Queen's Society's training hall, you can smell a strong, rich fragrance, right?"
Yoshino Ayaka nodded, "Yes. Isn't that just sandalwood or incense burning indoors? That's pretty common, isn't it?"
Hikari shook his head, "No."
"That peculiar fragrance is actually Awakening Orchid incense. It's an unusual scent that has the effect of confusing people's minds."
"Inhaling too much of it can even distort one's judgment and blur one's common sense."
"Ah?", Hearing Hikari's words, Yoshino Ayaka looked shocked, her face filled with disbelief.
After a moment, she came back to her senses but still asked in confusion, "How could that be? This is the Queen's Society, how could they burn something so strange here?"
Hikari said, "Naturally, it's to confuse people's reason and make them more devoted to Queen's."
Yoshino Ayaka grew even more confused, "Huh? But aren't the Queen's Society's followers supposed to maintain the most devout faith in Queen's to begin with?"
Looking at the confusion on Yoshino Ayaka's charming face, Hikari suddenly realized he seemed to be preaching to deaf ears.
There was no doubt that Yoshino Ayaka had a good relationship with him now, was grateful to him, and even harbored some strong feelings.
But on the other hand, this upper-class lady had been a devout fanatic of the Queen's Society long before she met him.
Given Yoshino Ayaka's devout faith in Queen, even after what happened today, nearly being drugged and assaulted by the cult leader, Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki, she was still somewhat unclear about it all and continued to hold strong trust in Queen's.
Hikari immediately understood that trying to persuade this fanatical rich lady right now was unrealistic.
Getting her to see the true face of the Queen's Society directly, and to recognize that Queen's's essence was that of an evil god, was even more impossible.
Hikari immediately shifted his angle and said to Yoshino Ayaka, "Maybe believing in Queen is fine, and Queen's original intent might also be good, but the people below have completely carried it out wrong. Like the cult leader, Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki."
In truth, Queen's's original intent was bad, and Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki simply carried it out with equal badness.
Yoshino Ayaka naturally could not hear Hikari's inner mutterings.
But regarding what Hikari said, "Queen's's intent is good, but the followers or the Queen's Society have carried it out wrong", Yoshino Ayaka understood it immediately.
She even wore an expression of sudden realization, "I understand! Awakening Orchid incense was originally meant to deepen the bond between followers and Queen's, but some people have used it for personal gain, and even to do evil, like... the founder?"
"Yes, like the cult leader Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki. Do you remember how in the leader's hall, he planned to force himself on you against your objections?", Hikari wanted to follow Yoshino Ayaka's logic and gradually turn her views around.
Yoshino Ayaka suddenly understood, "Of course I remember! I understand now! No wonder as soon as I entered the leader's hall, I felt dizzy and my body burned. It was because I had inhaled too much Awakening Orchid incense!"
"The cult leader has misunderstood the teachings of Queen's. His soul has probably become stained with filth. He is no longer a reliable or trustworthy person..."
As she thought it over, Yoshino Ayaka wore a frightened expression.
Thinking of what might have happened if Hikari had not shown up and she had been knocked out by the Awakening Orchid incense, what that hideous, bald, lecherous cult leader could have done to her, Yoshino Ayaka felt a wave of fear, and at the same time grew even more grateful to Hikari.
"Mm. Anyway, from now on, whenever you smell that strong Awakening Orchid incense scent again, leave immediately. And be very careful around the cult leader Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki," Hikari temporarily followed her logic and offered his advice.
"Mm! The cult leader has twisted the teachings of Queen, and what I believe in is Queen herself, so I will definitely be more careful and won't be fooled again!", Yoshino Ayaka clenched her small fists, looking as though she understood perfectly.
Hikari said nothing more and did not continue trying to persuade Yoshino Ayaka.
After all, as he kept digging deeper in the days to come, Yoshino Ayaka would have plenty of opportunities to witness the dark side of the Queen's Society and even the darkness of Queen's herself.
By then, he might gradually get her to abandon her faith.
Trying to make a fanatic like her collapse her faith with just a few words now was still too difficult. He would take it slowly.
Next, Yoshino Ayaka expressed her gratitude to Hikari at length for saving her from Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki's clutches.
And whether it was because of the side effects of the Awakening Orchid incense or the influence of the pure love aura, in any case, regarding this whole operation where Hikari had personally stepped in to perform the Queen's ritual and help her detoxify, Yoshino Ayaka actually had no objection whatsoever. Instead, she felt a great deal of guilt and a sense of having wronged him.
"Hikari-kun, you sacrificed yourself just now to save me..."
"Really... I put you through so much!"
"Being defiled by an old lady like me, you must feel like throwing up, right?"
"Auntie is really sorry. I'd like to give you some compensation, if only you can forgive me."
"All right, Hikari-kun..."
Recalling the scenes from earlier when Hikari had been forced to perform the Queen's ritual for her, Yoshino Ayaka's face was full of guilt.
Although she was a married woman, her sense of guilt toward her husband was not actually all that strong.
Instead, most of her guilt was directed toward Hikari.
Because her marriage was a family alliance, she had no emotional foundation with her husband, and their relationship was not particularly harmonious.
Although her material living conditions had always been very comfortable, her husband was naturally deficient, and they even slept in separate rooms.
He did not touch her at all, let alone bring her any happiness or fulfillment.
So although she still had the title of wife due to the family alliance, Yoshino Ayaka had already spent many years alone and lonely.
Under these circumstances, the satisfaction Hikari had given her, one she had never experienced before, belonging solely to a woman, she simply could not bring herself to deny in bad faith.
Before today, she could hardly have imagined that being a woman could feel this happy and blissful.
So Yoshino Ayaka mainly felt intense guilt toward Hikari.
After all, Hikari was still so young and so handsome.
Yet he had been defiled by filth in order to save her.
It truly made Yoshino Ayaka feel uneasy.
Hikari looked at Yoshino Ayaka's guilt-ridden face.
He glanced at the dried bloodstains remaining on the tatami.
He analyzed her line of thinking for a moment, paused, and then spoke to reassure her, "It's all right, Miss Yoshino."
"As long as you don't mind my actions being too forward at the time, how could I blame you?"
"Besides, Miss Yoshino is still young and so beautiful. I don't have anything to feel wronged about."
"As for compensation, there's really no need."
"Rather, I'd say being able to perform the Queen's ritual with you, Miss Yoshino, is also a kind of luck."
Yoshino Ayaka's beautiful eyes became wide, "R-really?"
"Do you really mean that, Hikari-kun?", Hearing Hikari's words, Yoshino Ayaka's eyes filled with tears, her face moved, her cheeks flushed, feeling a little shy inside, but even happier and more excited.
After her excitement subsided, Yoshino Ayaka let out a long breath and finally, blushing, lowered her head and said in a muffled voice, "As long as Hikari-kun doesn't blame Auntie..."
"Actually, having Hikari-kun as the one to perform the Queen's ritual with... I... I also feel pretty lucky."
"Hikari-kun, that thing of yours is really amazing... Ah! Sorry, I misspoke!"
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Hikari-kun!"
As Yoshino Ayaka spoke, she suddenly let something slip and said what was on her mind. Her pretty face instantly turned deep red.
She quickly tried to cover it up, "Anyway, Hikari-kun, this kind of thing is still not good. If it got out, it would be bad for both of us..."
"What happened today was just an accident. Let's... treat it like a dream and forget it all..."
After all, she and Hikari were so far apart in age.
She was still a married woman. How could there possibly be any way forward for them?
Even if she were willing to divorce, would Hikari be willing to accept her?
And even if Hikari were willing to accept her, this wilted flower and withered willow, how could she bear to ruin Hikari's future.
Although that wonderful feeling Hikari had given her, she would probably never forget it for the rest of her life.
Yoshino Ayaka looked at Hikari nervously and shamefully, her heart full of conflict.
Hearing her words, Hikari directly agreed to her request, "All right, I promise you, Miss Yoshino. Let's treat it as an accidental dream."
"And I truly don't blame you, Miss Yoshino. You don't need to carry any psychological burden."
"Mm! Thank you, Hikari-kun!", Yoshino Ayaka laughed and let out a long breath, seeming to relax quite a bit.
But her eyes involuntarily grew moist, her lips trembled, and inside her rose a powerful sense of emptiness and loss.
As if she had personally given up something precious.
That unbearable emptiness made her involuntarily grip Hikari's hand tightly, holding his arm close to her chest.
And seeing how just a few words had moved Yoshino Ayaka so deeply, with tears streaming down nonstop, during the Queen's ritual earlier, too, she had been streaming almost nonstop from start to finish, Hikari knew that aside from her natural tendency to cry easily, she was probably also very lonely and starved for love in her daily life.
And on the way back, this was confirmed.
Because he had already come to terms with Itsuki Shima, the true power holder of the Queen's Society, even though Hikari had beaten up the cult leader Mitsuishi Mitsuyuki, he was still able to leave the Queen's Society easily with Yoshino Ayaka, with no one stopping him.
However, because of the strenuous activity earlier, her legs were still weak and sore and even cramping from time to time, so Hikari drove Yoshino Ayaka's car to take her back.
[T/N: A new fanfic is up guys— "Naruto: Transmigrating with a Gift Pack System" so add it to your collections and give some Powerstones. Have a great day, hope you enjoy it~ 🎉🎉]