If you looked toward the mountains, plumes of steam rose here and there. That was the town of Lydin, nestled deep in the valley.

The roads were well-kept, but the slopes were steep.

Aine and I had come to this remote hot-spring town together.

It wasn’t exactly the edge of the world, but it wasn’t crowded either. For the kingdom, Lydin was famous as a resort destination. Nobles, royalty, high-ranking adventurers; people with money and time flocked here to soak.

I’d been once before for work. The deeper you went into the mountains, the hotter and more intense the springs became.

But this time wasn’t work.

This time, we were here to rest, to heal.

“So this is the hot-spring town, huh?”

“Yep. Tons of different baths, and most inns have their own private ones attached.”

“Where did you stay last time?”

“Some place near the entrance. I wasn’t here for the springs, so I left the moment the job was done.”

Aine gave me a flat, judging stare.

“That’s so you…”

I didn’t think I’d said anything wrong, but okay.

“Then you don’t even know which inns are good!”

“We can just pick one at random for now.”

“Random?! We finally came all this way and you want to do it random?”

She turned away with a huff.

I mean, she wasn’t wrong. If we were going to be here, we might as well find somewhere nice.

“Fine, fine. Let’s walk around town and look properly. Bigger places probably have more bath varieties. And even if the inn doesn’t work out, there are public baths too.”

“…All right. Let’s walk.”

And so we started wandering the streets together.

As expected from a tourist spot, there were people from all over, mostly from within the kingdom, but foreigners too. Still, the majority were nobles, wealthy merchants, or high-rank adventurers. Locals came, of course, but long-distance travelers tended to be those with stable incomes.

I kept an eye out for anyone who looked imperial, but Lydin was on the opposite side of the kingdom from the Empire. It’d be hard for them to track us this quickly.

“There’re a lot of food stalls.”

“Want anything?”

“I’m not really hun—”

grrrowl

A tiny, traitorous sound came from Aine’s direction.

She froze mid-sentence.

“Aine.”

“I-It wasn’t me!! Probably someone passing by! Definitely not my stomach!”

“I didn’t even accuse you.”

“…A-anyway! We should find an inn first so we can rest properly!”

She was clearly more worried about me than herself.

It had only been a few days since I was discharged. I wasn’t 100% yet. Walking around town was fine, but I knew she was watching my pace.

“I’m actually getting hungry,” I said. “Mind keeping me company while I eat something?”

“…You’re really hungry?”

“We had breakfast pretty early. And since we’re walking anyway, might as well eat while we look.”

She hesitated, then nodded. “…Fine. If you say so.”

And that’s how we ended up inn-hunting while snacking on skewers and steamed buns.

“You really don’t have any recommendations?” she asked again.

“You keep asking that.”

“You don’t exactly go around eating street food when you’re here for work, do you?”

“…Can’t argue with that.”

“Then have some fun for once!”

“You’re not exactly the ‘fun’ type either, Miss Training-Obsessed Knight.”

“Urk—”

She looked away, cheeks puffed.

She used to be even stricter when she was still a knight. I’m pretty sure she had less fun than I did.

“…F-Fine! Then I’ll be the guide today!”

“You’ve never been here either.”

“Doesn’t matter. There’s a strategy for places like this.”

A strategy, huh. I was curious, but I could tell she was totally winging it.

Still, I let her lead.

Ten minutes later…

“Umm… next we go…”

She was muttering to herself, spinning in circles. As expected, we were completely lost.

Well, we were in a new town. It was fine. We’d already satisfied our hunger, and wandering around with Aine was fun in its own way.

Also, thanks to Aine avoiding crowds, we’d ended up in a quiet back alley. I don’t like crowds either, so it worked out perfectly.

“Aine, how about we just pick an inn around here?”

“Eh? But…”

“It’s fine. We’re not staying forever. If we don’t like it, we’ll switch tomorrow. Look, that big building up ahead; doesn’t it look like an inn?”

“Oh! You’re right… I can’t believe there’s one tucked away here.”

Compared to the surrounding buildings, it was huge. More like a mansion than an inn.

Aine’s eyes sparkled.

“This is exactly it! Deep in the remote area within a remote area… that’s where the hidden hot springs are!”

“Hidden hot springs?”

“Yep! The best springs are always secret! The more hidden, the stronger the healing powers!”

“So… this place has a secret spring?”

“Well, we won’t know until we check!”

She was fully committed now.

I didn’t really mind either way, so I just smiled.

“Guess we’ll have to find out. Let’s go.”

The sign read “Kakureya” (The Hidden House). The name alone screamed secrecy, but the building itself was clean and elegant.

At the entrance was a counter. The man behind it had his face hidden behind a warm-colored noren curtain. Couldn’t see his expression at all.

Aine flinched for a second, then steeled herself and walked up.

“Welcome,” the man said calmly.

“We’d like a room.”

“Certainly. Would you prefer overnight stay or short rest?”

“Short… rest?”

“Yes, short rest is charged by the hour.”

“Whoa, first time hearing that. You can rent by the hour? And there are hot springs, right?”

“Each room comes with an indoor bath and a private open-air rotenburo.”

“Two kinds…?”

Aine frowned. For a place this size, that seemed like surprisingly few options. But private open-air baths in every room? That was rare.

I was officially intrigued.

“Since we’re here, how about we just stay the night?”

“Yeah, that works. One night, please.”

“Understood.”

The man moved quickly, handing over a key with a room number. The price was shockingly low.

We headed to the room.

“…For an inn, it’s weirdly empty,” Aine muttered.

“Yeah. Just the guy at the counter. No other guests in sight. Maybe everyone’s in their rooms?”

“…I’m starting to get a bad feeling.”

“It’ll be fine. Worst case, we leave.”

“No way! We already paid for the night. We’re staying!”

We reached our room. It was locked, so I used the key.

The moment the door opened, all our worries evaporated.

“Whoa… the room’s gorgeous.”

“Right? The bed’s huge too; wait, there’s only one…?”

Aine noticed immediately.

Come to think of it, they never asked if we wanted two beds. I’d assumed they’d give us twins, but nope. One giant bed.

“It’s big enough. Better than some of the places we’ve crashed in.”

“Y-Yeah… sleeping together is… fine, I guess.”

She nodded, face slightly red.

Good. At least the room was perfect.

Aine immediately went to check the open-air bath.

I set down our bags and flopped onto the sofa.

On the table was a room-service menu.

“Nice, they deliver food to the room. Pretty luxurious for the price—”

Then something on the shelf caught my eye.

A row of strange objects. Weird shapes.

I stood up and picked one up.

It had a magistone embedded in it; definitely a magic tool.

But… what the heck were they for?

I turned one on. It just vibrated.

“Lynoah! The open-air bath is actually amazing!”

“Cool. By the way, I found something weird.”

I turned around, holding the buzzing object.

Aine looked at my hand.

And her face turned crimson in 0.2 seconds flat.

“——?!?!?!”

♡♡♡

Aine came back from checking the open-air bath and froze in the doorway.

There stood Lynoah, face completely serious, holding the most obscene object she had ever seen outside of a certain very illegal raid back when she was still a knight.

She knew exactly what it was.

A magical vibrator. Specifically designed for… intimate female use.

She had never used one herself, of course, but she’d once helped confiscate an entire crate of them during an investigation. Perfectly legal, technically. Just… very, very embarrassing.

And now her childhood friend was holding one like it was a curious puzzle piece.

“Aine, do you know what this is?”

“Wh—?! I-I…”

Words failed her.

If she admitted she knew, she’d have to explain. With her own mouth. To him.

“N-No idea…” she lied, cheeks burning.

Lynoah tilted his head innocently.

“Huh. Weird that an inn would have something like this, though. Look, when you press here it vibrates.”

He turned it on.

BZZZZZZZZ

The sound was loud. The vibration looked intense.

Aine’s imagination instantly supplied way too many details.

And then, to her horror, Lynoah started walking toward her with it.

“D-Don’t bring that thing near me!”

“It’s not dangerous. It just vibrates. There’s a bunch of them in the drawer—some are pebble-sized, some are shaped weird, but they all just buzz.”

“P-Put it away!!”

“…You definitely know what it is, don’t you?”

He was giving her that suspicious look now.

For a split second she wondered if he was teasing her on purpose. He did have a sadistic streak sometimes.

(Wait… if he’s doing this just to watch me squirm, then two can play that game.)

Aine took a deep breath and glared back.

“You’re the one who knows exactly what it is and is pretending otherwise, aren’t you?”

“Eh? Why would I—?”

“Don’t play innocent! You wanted to see me freak out, right? Well, it won’t work! I’m totally fine with you pointing that… that pervert toy at me!”

Silence.

Lynoah blinked once, then twice.

Then he slowly nodded, like a scholar who’d just solved a mystery.

“…Ah. So that’s what it is. That explains why it only vibrates.”

“……Huh?”

“I get it now. And I understand why you pretended not to know. Sorry—that was insensitive of me.”

He actually apologized. Sincerely.

Aine’s entire righteous indignation collapsed.

“N-No, it’s fine, I just—”

“Because it was during work, right? You saw them on a job?”

“YES! Knight business! Totally normal knight business! Nothing weird!”

“I believe you. It makes sense I wouldn’t recognize something meant for women.”

“I’ve never used one!!”

“Of course.”

“It’s just a stupid buzzing rock! Totally pointless!”

Lynoah nodded thoughtfully.

“Then… want to test that theory?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Let’s see if it really is meaningless.”

Aine’s brain short-circuited.

And that is how, ten minutes later, she ended up lying on the bed with a tiny pebble-shaped vibrator taped snugly against her most sensitive spot, hidden beneath her panties, while Lynoah held the remote like it was a scientific instrument.

“It’s small enough to stay in place with underwear. Neat design,” he said, genuinely impressed.

Aine wanted to die.

The moment he pressed the button—

“Nn—!”

A tiny jolt shot through her.

It wasn’t strong. Actually, it was pretty weak.

(…That’s it?)

She had expected earth-shattering. Instead it was just… a gentle tickle.

(See? Totally manageable.)

“How is it?” Lynoah asked, dead serious.

“It’s… weird, but like I said. Nothing special.”

“Got it. Maybe constant low vibration just gets boring.”

Aine almost laughed at how seriously he was analyzing a sex toy.

(He’s such a nerd…)

The fact that he trusted her enough to test something like this on her, without any shame, made her heart do something complicated.

She flopped sideways onto the bed.

“I could honestly nap like this. Mind if I rest a bit?”

“Go ahead. Maybe the effect builds up over time.”

“It won’t. It’s too weak.”

Famous last words.

Ten minutes later…

“Nn… haa…”

Soft whimpers were escaping despite her best efforts.

She hugged a pillow over her face, legs pressed tightly together.

Why was it getting stronger?

It was the same faint vibration, but her body was treating it like it was climbing a staircase of pleasure, one tiny buzz at a time.

Because of the collar. Because Lynoah had already trained her body to be absurdly sensitive.

What started as a tickle was now a slow, relentless torment.

And the worst part?

She was enjoying it.

(Why am I getting turned on when I’m not even in heat…?!)

She peeked at Lynoah.

He was calmly examining the other toys, completely unaware she was losing her mind.

If she admitted it worked now, she’d lose the argument.

But if she didn’t…

“Nn… haa…”

Her hips started shifting on their own.

Ten more minutes, she told herself. Just ten more minutes and she could declare victory.

“Fu… fuu…”

Her breathing was getting ragged.

Her lower belly ached with need.

“Lu… Lynoah…”

She called his name in a tiny, trembling voice.

He looked over, concerned.

“Aine? Your face is really red. Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine! J-Just… getting bored of this thing…”

“So the toy—”

“It’s totally meaningless— HIYAA?!”

The moment she shifted, the little pebble pressed directly against her clit.

Even on low power, the sudden perfect contact sent lightning through her entire body.

She couldn’t even finish her sentence.

Lynoah walked over and lay down behind her, spooning her gently.

“Lynoah…?”

“If you say it’s meaningless, then I believe you.”

His voice was warm, soothing.

Relief flooded her.

“Right? So we can take it off now—”

“Before that… one little experiment.”

He gently took her wrists, pulled them behind her back—

Click.

Cold metal closed around them.

Handcuffs. From the same drawer.

“W-What are you—?!”

“You said it doesn’t work, right?” he whispered against her ear, voice low and teasing. “Then enduring a little longer shouldn’t be a problem… should it?”

That smile.

That gentle, sadistic smile she knew all too well.

Aine realized, far too late, that she had walked straight into his trap.

And deep down—she didn’t want to escape.

When I first picked it up, I genuinely had no idea what it was.

I could tell it was a magic tool; the embedded magistone made that obvious. But it just… vibrated. Honestly, from my perspective, it looked completely pointless.

Then Aine’s panicked explanation made everything click.

All the toys in this inn were designed for one thing: to do lewd things to women.

I still didn’t understand why an inn would stock an entire drawer of them, but ever since I showed her, Aine’s attitude had been flipping like a switch. The blushing, the stammering, the way she kept stealing glances; she was clearly shaken.

I felt bad. Teasing her with something like this wasn’t exactly gentlemanly.

But then she said it, with that proud, defiant look:

“There’s no way I’d ever use something like that. It’s just a stupid buzzing thing. Totally meaningless.”

Meaningless, huh?

She’d never even tried it, yet she declared it with such confidence.

Was she speaking from experience? Or was her stubborn pride just that strong?

Either way, a single, dangerous curiosity sparked inside me.

What would happen if I made the girl who swore it was “meaningless” use it anyway?

Of course, I wrapped it in a convenient excuse.

Because of the Collar of Lust, Aine is still forced into heat at random. If these toys actually worked—if they could make her feel good enough to override the collar’s curse—then they’d be incredibly useful from now on.

That’s what I told myself.

That’s how I justified the proposal.

“Let’s test whether it’s really meaningless or not.”

She could’ve refused. She absolutely should have.

I was literally suggesting we use a sex toy together, in an inn, while she wasn’t even in heat.

Yet… she didn’t say no.

I still don’t know what was going through her head.

Was she secretly curious? Or did her competitive streak simply refuse to back down from a challenge?

If it was the former… that meant she willingly accepted my invitation to pleasure. If it was the latter… well, what would happen when it did work and she still tried to deny it?

Knowing Aine, she’d probably grit her teeth and insist “it doesn’t feel good at all” right up to the moment she came.

Either possibility was unbearably arousing.

After I taped the tiny pebble vibrator in place (hidden perfectly beneath her panties), I pretended to study the other toys while secretly watching her.

Soft little breaths. The way she kept shifting her hips. How tightly she was clutching that pillow.

I had to look away.

Because it was working. It was working beautifully.

And the guilt hit me like a hammer.

I was exploiting her personality, using her pride against her, just so I could see her squirm.

If she insisted it wasn’t affecting her, I swore I’d stop immediately.

Then I heard that trembling voice.

“L-Lynoah…”

I turned around.

Her cheeks were flushed crimson. Her breathing was ragged. Her eyes were glassy with need.

My self-control shattered.

“Aine? You okay? Your face is really red.”

“I-I’m fine! I’m just… getting bored of this thing already!”

She was speaking way too fast.

She was this affected, and still trying to bluff.

Something dark and hungry stirred inside me.

One more push.

Just one more.

I walked over and lay down behind her, wrapping an arm gently around her waist.

She stiffened.

“Lynoah…?”

“If you say it’s meaningless,” I whispered into her ear, “then I believe you.”

Relief flashed across her face.

“Right? So we can take it off now—”

“But before that… one tiny experiment.”

I pulled her wrists behind her back.

Click.

The handcuffs closed.

She jolted.

“W-What the—?! What are you doing?!”

“They were in the drawer too,” I said softly, rolling her onto her back and pinning her cuffed hands above her head. “If it really doesn’t work on you… then enduring a little longer shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

That smile. The one I only ever show when I’m about to bully her in the way she secretly loves.

From this point on, it wasn’t a suggestion anymore.

It was just me, deciding to break her pride, piece by trembling piece.

And from the way her thighs pressed together and her breath hitched…

…she already knew she wasn’t going to win.

♢♢♢

The only sounds in the room were the low, relentless buzz of the magic toy and Aine’s ragged breathing.

“Haa… haa… haa…”

She trembled with every tiny vibration, wrists still cuffed behind her back, metal clinking whenever she squirmed.

I just watched.

The setting was still on the lowest level, yet the pleasure was clearly building inside her, slow and inexorable.

She twisted her hips in frustration.

(Why… why does it feel so good when it’s this weak…?)

Being watched in this state should have been mortifying. Instead, the shame only wound her tighter.

“Please… Lynoah… turn it off…”

Her voice came out as a whimper.

“Why?” I asked gently.

“Because…”

“You said it didn’t work on you, remember?”

“……”

She had lied. Twice. First that she didn’t know what the toy was. Then that it had no effect.

I kept the same soft smile I always wore.

If she admitted the truth now, I’d stop immediately.

But Aine never backs down easily.

“I… haa… I lied when I said it didn’t work… nngh… it feels… really weird…”

“Weird how?”

“D-Don’t make me say it…! It’s… it’s slowly starting to feel… good… ahn…!”

Her voice cracked with every moan.

The vibration never got stronger, yet her reactions grew more desperate by the second.

That terrified her more than any sudden surge ever could.

“So,” I said calmly, “you lied to me.”

“It wasn’t a real lie—! At first it really wasn’t doing anything—!”

“Actually… you also lied when you said you didn’t know what these toys were.”

She froze.

I sat beside her again.

“I’ve always been bad at lying,” I murmured. “And right now… I really want to keep watching you like this. So consider this… a little punishment for lying. Is that okay?”

“N-No, wait—!”

I nudged the dial up one notch.

The buzz grew just loud enough to make her whole body jerk.

“Hi—!”

That cruel, gentle smile of mine was fully on display now.

Once I flip this switch, nothing she says will stop me.

She realized it too late.

“I-I’m sorry for lying… nngh… please…”

“I’m not mad,” I whispered, brushing hair from her sweaty forehead. “You just look… unbelievably cute right now.”

“C-Calling me cute at a time like— HIYAA?!”

Another notch.

She glared at me through teary eyes, but the glare melted into a pleading whimper.

The toy kept tormenting her endlessly. Her panties were soaked; I didn’t need to look to know.

She wanted nothing more than to rip them off and end it, but the cuffs held firm.

Clink. Clink.

“Does it feel good?” I asked softly.

She bit her lip and looked away.

I waited.

Eventually I pulled her back against my chest so she was half-reclining against me.

“I don’t want you angry at me,” I said into her ear.

“Then stop—!”

“I will. The moment you’re honest.”

“Honest about…?”

“I asked if it feels good.”

The toy was now strong enough to make her hips twitch with every pulse, but still not quite enough to push her over.

She knew I knew.

She also knew I wouldn’t check under her skirt unless she let me.

I wanted to hear it from her own mouth.

Aine’s pride cracked just enough.

“If you’re so curious… why don’t you look for yourself…?”

I blinked.

Then smiled.

“You’re right. That would be faster.”

My hand moved to the hem of her skirt.

“W-Wait— I didn’t mean—!”

“You literally just told me to look.”

“I-I take it back—!”

Too late.

I lifted the fabric.

Her panties were drenched, a dark stain spreading across the pale cloth, the little pebble still buzzing obediently against her clit.

A single thread of arousal stretched and snapped as I exposed her.

“…You’re soaked.”

“You don’t have to say it out loud—! There, you saw! It feels good, okay?! Happy now?!”

She shouted it like a challenge, face crimson.

I nodded slowly.

“Yeah… I understand perfectly.”

“So…?”

“So…?”

“So what are you going to do about it?!”

We both knew the answer.

We’re just terrible at being direct.

“…You’re going to do it, right…?” she whispered, voice trembling.

“Yeah,” I breathed. “I’m at my limit too.”

The foreplay was over.

I peeled her soaked panties down her thighs. The toy came free with a wet little pop, glistening with her juices.

I held it up so she could see exactly how much she’d leaked onto it.

“You really held back a long time.”

“D-Don’t show me—!”

She squirmed, mortified.

“…Take these cuffs off too. We’re… doing it now, right?”

“I was thinking we’d leave them on.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Remember when I tied you with bandages before? Same thing.”

“That was completely different—!”

Her protests died the moment I freed myself and lined up.

She saw how hard I was and her breath caught.

“Ready?” I asked.

She gave the tiniest nod and spread her legs herself, cuffed hands clutching the sheets behind her back.

I pushed in slowly.

“Nnh… fuu…”

She was so wet there was almost no resistance, yet every inch dragged a moan out of her.

When I bottomed out we both shuddered.

Then I started moving.

Slow at first.

“Ah—! Nnh… haa…”

Within seconds she was coming, tiny orgasms rippling through her each time I hilted.

Her body jerked against the cuffs, chains rattling helplessly.

She tried to push back, to fight for some control, then suddenly wrapped her legs around my waist and squeezed with her inner walls.

I faltered.

“Got you,” she panted, smirking through the haze. “If I clamp down like this… you’ll come first, right…?”

I laughed breathlessly.

“Maybe. But this feels better for me.”

I thrust harder.

“HIYAAAAH!”

Her smugness shattered instantly.

Every clench she tried only amplified her own pleasure.

Soon she was reduced to desperate cries, body shaking through climax after climax.

I wasn’t far behind.

“Aine… coming—”

“M-Me too—!”

We crashed over the edge together.

Heat flooded her as I emptied everything inside.

For a long moment we just panted against each other.

“…That took forever, idiot,” she finally mumbled into my shoulder.

“Sorry. Got a little carried away.”

The punishment was officially over.

But neither of us made any move to take off the cuffs just yet.

☆☆

Aine turned toward me on the bed, cheeks still flushed, giving me that familiar half-lidded glare.

“…By the way,” she muttered, “I haven’t gone into heat even once today… so why did we end up doing it anyway?”

She was absolutely right. Today the collar hadn’t activated at all.

Which meant, technically, we’d just had sex for no reason other than… we wanted to.

“Sorry,” I said, scratching my cheek. “You were too cute. Couldn’t help myself.”

“D-Don’t say that straight to my face! It’s embarrassing…!”

“Well, we’re alone. It’s fine, right?”

“That’s not the point!”

She shut me down instantly. Yeah, this time she was 100% correct.

All I could do was apologize like a scolded puppy.

“I really am sorry.”

“…You’re actually reflecting, right?”

“Of course. Right now I’ll do anything you say.”

Her eyes lit up.

“Anything? You’ll really do anything?”

“Uh… yeah? I mean, I always try to grant your wishes anyway—”

“That doesn’t count if it’s normal! But… if you’re offering anything…”

She glanced at the bed, then flopped dramatically onto her back and tugged my arm.

“Then today we’re just going to sleep. No funny business.”

“That’s it?”

“‘That’s it?!’ You never rest when I tell you to! You’re still injured, remember?”

She was right again.

My wounds from the fight with the Empire’s mages had mostly healed, but the ones from Rudro were still fresh. I wasn’t fragile, but we did come here to recuperate.

Doing nothing but lying down was actually the correct choice.

“…If that’s what you want, then I’ll lie down too.”

“Good. We almost never get to just… do nothing together, do we?”

“Now that you mention it… usually one of us is dragging the other off to train, or take a job, or—”

“Exactly. So today is off-limits. I’m not doing anything either.”

To make sure I couldn’t escape, she scooted closer and practically glued herself to my side.

I hadn’t planned on moving anyway, but the sudden full-body cuddle still surprised me.

Our eyes met at extremely close range.

“W-What? I didn’t say anything weird, did I…?”

“No, no. Training is canceled for today. Rest is its own kind of discipline, like you said.”

“…You still turned it into training somehow.” She sighed. “Whatever. That’s fine. But tomorrow we’re changing inns.”

“Yeah… staying here another night might awaken some… memories.”

“You’re definitely remembering what just happened, aren’t you?! It was so embarrassing…!”

“I was out of line, I know. But you really were adorable. And watching you stubbornly deny it even while moaning was honestly kind of hilarious.”

“Shut up! You pretend to be all calm and mature, but you’re just as competitively stubborn as I am!”

“I’m not—well, maybe about swordsmanship.”

“See? We’re both hopeless.”

We bickered back and forth like that, until the bickering dissolved into quiet laughter.

Then we just lay there, trading idle stories about nothing important, our voices getting softer and softer.

Doing absolutely nothing, just the two of us on a big bed in a quiet room.

It was… surprisingly rare for us.

Neither of us had the slightest clue that, in just a little while, the collar would finally decide to remind us it still existed.