"Mm… harder… deeper..."
"…I'm close."
Those moans never fail to hit.
And coming from Liona? They were like music to my ears.
We'd been on the road for five days—stopping in minor towns and sleepy villages to eat, rest… and, of course, indulge.
Yes—Liona had taken the bait, sooner than I expected: One gold coin for a round or two. Since then, it had become a regular thing—almost every day, multiple times per day, even. She never complained. If anything, she kept coming back.
Right now, she was slumped against the carriage seat, her body twitching occasionally. Her clothes had ridden up to her waist, exposing her folds, which were wet with the remnants of our release.
Five days in, and I was starting to get the hang of catering to her… needs. So far, it had been profitable—in more ways than one.
I adjusted myself and leaned back, feeling the slight heaviness of my newly-formed elven ears from the pills Liona had given me. They weren't as pointy as hers or Felix's, but were enough to pass for an elf for now.
Meanwhile, Liona shifted, tugging her clothes back into place with a soft sigh.
"Mm… you really do know how to satisfy a woman," she murmured, stretching slightly.
She exhaled, then added, "The princess definitely won't be disappointed."
"Ya think?" I asked, giving her a pointed look.
"Mmm-hmm," she murmured, eyes half-lidded and still lost in post-coital bliss. "With the fertility brew, taming the beastkin princess should be easy pickings." She shifted again, stretching her limbs lightly. "And I'll finally be rid of this 'journeying around the four kingdoms' nonsense."
I hesitated. "About that…"
"Hmm?" Liona glanced at me, curious.
I looked away, feeling the weight of the words. "…The brew. It's gone."
The carriage rolled on.
Liona said nothing for a moment, her calm gaze tinged with irritation.
Then the silence broke.
"You... wasted it all? Everything?" Liona's voice cut through the quiet carriage.
I said nothing.
After a moment, she leaned back against the seat, letting out a soft sigh. "Hmph. That's your problem. You'll just have to figure out how to get to the princesses without it."
I met her gaze. "Can you make another one?"
She snorted, a hint of exasperation in her eyes. "Are you joking? It costs more than three horses just to gather the ingredients. There's no way I can make another."
I ran a hand through my hair, leaning back against the seat. "So much for the brew..."
Liona gave a small hum of agreement, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You better hope the princess is impressed by your... other charms," she said, a teasing lilt in her voice.
I nodded, letting my eyes drift toward the window.
The forest stretched endlessly on either side of the road—trees tall and thick, their shadows pooling over the path. Something about it felt a bit… off.
I turned to Liona, keeping my voice casual. "Speaking of… do you think we're anywhere close to the capital yet?"
She glanced at me, tilting her head thoughtfully. "How would I know? I don't exactly carry a map on my face, now do i?"
"No, I mean… judging from the time we left until now, shouldn't we at least be close?" I pressed.
Liona considered it for a moment, then nodded. "In theory, we should. This journey is supposed be about three to five days. We should be approaching the outskirts."
She shrugged before continuing, "Maybe the driver chose a longer route, or the path got a little twisted somwhere… something along those lines."
I let my gaze wander back to the road ahead. The forest seemed to thicken as we moved further along, strange shadows stretching longer under the canopy. The trees were getting denser—far denser than they should be for a road so close to a capital city.
My unease grew quietly in my chest. Something about this path wasn't right.