I leaned my head back against the pillow, heart pounding with exhilaration. Free. Free!
The healers had said to rest, but how could I rest now? I felt more alive than ever. Every nerve ending seemed to tingle, every sense sharpened. The night was still and quiet around me, but inside I was a storm of elation.
Instinctively, my mind drifted to the source of so much of my frustration and unlikely arousal: Elfriede. Images flooded in—her long, creamy thighs exposed when I'd massaged her, the way her ample breasts pressed together beneath her leather corset, her smooth neck that I'd often imagined wrapping my hands around in anger… or perhaps in passion.
Despite myself, I felt my newly returned manhood pulse eagerly at those memories. A heat built in my core, fueled by two years of pent-up lust and rage.
I closed my eyes, letting the fantasies take shape. In my mind, I envisioned Elfriede striding toward me—except this time, I wasn't cowering or leashed by a curse. This time, I would push her down, tear off that smug outfit piece by piece, and have her at my mercy. Perhaps I'd bind her wrists as she had so often bound mine, silence her sharp tongue with rough, devouring kisses until she moaned for me…
A low groan escaped my throat. My hand moved steadily under the blanket, stroking the length of my stiff member as I indulged in the vivid daydream. The image of Elfriede's proud red eyes hazy with unwilling pleasure—her milky skin flushed, those perfect breasts heaving—drove me wild.
A wicked grin curled my lips. Oh, Elfriede… if only she knew what I was imagining now. In my mind's theater, I relished every curve of her body that I had glimpsed (and massaged) in reality. The only worthwhile thing about her was her body, I thought savagely, pumping faster. Her beautiful, infuriating, voluptuous body… and it would be mine to conquer.
I bit down on my lip to stifle a cry as years of frustration found violent release. My free hand gripped the sheets, and with a few final motions, I reached a thunderous climax—wave after wave of ecstasy coursed through me, as intense as the first meal after near-starvation. I shuddered, clenching my teeth to hold back a shout that would surely wake the entire infirmary.
For several long moments, I lay there catching my breath, my body limp and tingling with satisfaction. A profound sense of relief and triumph washed over me, as if I'd cast off a curse and an enormous weight on my soul.
I quietly cleaned myself with a spare rag and adjusted my gown in the candle's gentle glow. A faint, delirious giggle escaped me. I felt reborn—like a man emerging from a long, dark tunnel into bright sunlight.
I wasn't foolish enough to think all my problems were solved. I was still in an infirmary, under Elfriede's authority (for now), and my hard-earned coins were in her possession. But I had genuine hope for the first time since I stumbled into this accursed world.
I flexed my fingers and smiled into the darkness. Tomorrow… tomorrow would mark the beginning of a new life. With my curse gone and a blessing in its place, I finally had a fighting chance.
"Enjoy your sleep while you can, Elfriede," I murmured, closing my eyes in contentment. "You won't hold me under your boot for much longer."
And with that promise blazing in my heart, I drifted into the deepest, most peaceful sleep I'd had in years.