Chapter Eighty Nine: Turned Tables

All the rooms in the inn were empty. I was free to choose the room I wanted. I went along and picked the one I stayed in last time I was here. The girls stayed in the one opposite to me. They fell asleep almost immediately on the same bed.
Duddul had to stay behind the inn in the alley where I used to keep him before. I fed him and called it a night.
When I was sure everybody had fallen asleep, I sneaked out of my room to Etis’ room in the first floor.
I’ve been thinking of a way to make her regain consciousness quickly. I’ve come up with a solution, but the risk is too great. I haven’t tried it on anyone until now.
The first time I kissed someone in order to save them was back then with Meila. Ever since then, I’ve wondered whether I have some kind of special ability. When a person is not unconscious, the kiss becomes dangerous and harmful to them. Though there are benefits, the danger is great.
In my fights with the monsters, I learned to shift all my strength to a part of my body. I could even send it to my sword. And when I had that long kiss with Lust, I used a lot of energy on my lips to make that happen.
That got me thinking; would it be possible to reduce the energy instead of increasing it in one part of the body? I think I’ll be able to do it. But in case it doesn’t work, the whole thing might turn out for the worse.
I really need Etis to wake up. I feel guilty thinking it was my lover that did this to her.
“Etis…… please wake up………” having made up my mind, I wished for her recovery from the bottom of my heart then placed my lips on her’s. 
All I have to do is believe she’ll heal and she’ll heal. That’s what I want to make myself believe. Her eyebrows twitched but she showed no other reaction. I thought that the energy I used was too weak to fight Lust’s power when……..
“My~ My~. My queen will go berserk if she sees this~.” before pulling back my head, a sweet voice spoke from inside the room.
“That voice…………” I can remember it anywhere.
“Aera………….?” the succubi who is Lust’s head servant.“I saw you leaving the capital so I decided to come get you. I didn’t know about all that was going on until it was all settled. But somehow, it’s kind of a good thing my queen didn’t know about your troubles. She would have killed the king……… literally.”
Is that so?
She was standing behind in her black succubi tights. “You came to get me? Why………….?”
“Why you ask? I guess you are alright since you are busy enjoying yourself. My lady is quite the opposite though. It’s starting to get dangerous in there even for us. You should know how jealous she is.”
“Jealousy doesn’t justify what she did. She could have killed people who are very important to me. I don’t know if I can forgive her if that happened.”
“So you are choosing friendship over love?”
“That has nothing to do with it. There is a limit to how one should act when blinded by rage. They had nothing to do with our relationship. Why wouldn’t she confront me first?”
“So are you coming back with me?”
“No……… I cant leave Etis like this. The girls need to rest too. Tell her to think about what she’s done. And one more thing………………”
Aera left that night with a message from me.
It was one heck of a day. The exhaustion I felt when I went to sleep was completely different from all my adventures in the dungeon. The mental fatigue alone kept me sleeping for a long time.
To think I was actually able to go against the whole of the capital, I’ve really come so far in such a short time.
There used to be a time in this world when I couldn’t defeat anything. I couldn’t even defeat the horned gazelle until after many trials. But now………….
“Hmm……..?”
My mind felt incredible refreshed when I opened my eyes. It was as though all the fatigue from the previous day had been washed clean.
A gentle warm scent met my nose. The first thing that caught my attention were the cat ears and very big boobs.
“Is that…………………?” I muttered still half a sleep.
A soft voice spoke to me “You looked peaceful in your sleep. Have you rested enough?”
“Etis……..!!”
I almost thought it was a dream seeing her close to me when she should still be unconscious. Her head was right over mine when I woke up. She was staring at my face with a smile. I quickly sat up and hugged her “Thank god!!”
I hugged her very tightly when I let go and bowed on all fours on the bed “I’m incredibly sorry for what happened!! it’s all my fault that happened to you!!”
It was all my fault. I should have been cautious enough with my actions. Lust felt insulted when I ran out from her calling Leila’s name. She used her abilities to see what’s inside my house and found Etis there. She was already on the assumption that Meila was a servant in my house so she paid no mind to her. That and her ability to deceive people might have helped her escape Lust’s wrath.
I’ve heard from the succubi serving her that Lust can tap into their memories and visions. That would enable her to see what they are seeing and recall their past experiences. That must be how she came to know of Liek. She was just angry. If she really got the information on Liek from my memories, then she should have known that nothing happened between us in a long time. Not since I came to know her.
The bath scene with Etis couldn’t be helped. Nothing happened but I still managed to tell her how sorry I was for cutting contact with her. I really never meant to do that.
Etis took some time before she reacted to me bowing at her “.……. Why are you bowing? Please don’t do that. I should be the one thanking you. For looking at someone like me when you have her………….”
Apparently, Etis was looking at the flower the people at the fountain jar gave me when she suddenly found herself in a different place. She was in a thick ball made of purple fog. The fog rotated about her in a clockwise manner. Then from that fog, a figure appeared to her. She was so shocked at the sight in front of her and that’s all she remembered.
“I’ve always heard stories of her ever since I was little. But all those stories were nothing compared to what I saw. Her beauty almost instantly killed me. It shouldn’t be possible to be that beautiful………. I don’t know how to say it. She was too young, even younger than me. That’s when I realized how lucky I was. You hanged out with someone like me when you can spend all your time with her……………”
Pictures of me filled the ball of fog before Etis passed out. The only words Lust said to her were “Stay away……….!” she didn’t know what happened after that.
“I was also very happy when you refused to go with that succubus from yesterday……..”
“You saw……!?” I had thought she was still unconscious because the kiss didn’t work. She apparently heard everything that happened between us.
Knowing that the kiss worked gave me a lot of confidence. I wont have to heal the people I care about by making them go through pain. As long as I can concentrate, only the good energy will go to them.
After Etis passed out, the succubi most likely neutralized the poison just like they did to our house when I brought back Lust for the first time.
But that’s not what’s important. I put her life in danger and I’m sorry for that.Still bowing down, she held my head up slightly “You don’t have to feel apologetic. My friend says ‘girls have to compete’ so it was meant for it to happen. And besides, she’s not the only one who feels that way. We all do…………..”
“Etis………..” I didn’t know what to say. She smiled so brightly as if non of the things that happened yesterday ever occurred.
She stood up energetically from the bed “Now that I’m back home and in perfect condition, It’s time to get back to work!”
The sun was setting when she left my room. I’ve slept for almost a day. From the lights in the corridor after she opened the door, I could see two more figures standing close to the door. The girls were listening in on us.
“Get back to work?” I knew she was trying to tell me to forget about what happened by those words. She was saying “It’s all in the past now.” but is it really? I have to make sure something like this never happens again.
The inn was reopened at night. Grandpa apologized to his customers and gave a special day 50 percent discount to serve as an apology and to celebrate Etis’ recovery.
A lot of customers crowded the place forming lines outside before the deal expires. The staff at the inn couldn’t handle all that load. Meila, Leila and I lent a hand.
It was good to see Leila working happily enjoying her new freedom. She was already good at the job and some people came to personally get waited on by her. That shows how popular she is in this town.
At night, two messengers came to me from Lust. They were Aera and Baera. They called me using their magic and we met by the rock away from people. 
“Our queen wants to talk to you.” they said. 
Along with them was a bunch of keys to a house. They told me the condition she was in and left.
She’s been crying since yesterday. Her crying is just moans but in a sad tone. They told me that for the first time since they started serving her, the flow of love juice that comes from her never never ceased prior to this. She locked herself in her chambers and cried. The thread of fluid that flows to the other hall ceased right when I left.
I know how hard it must be for her thinking that I hate her. It’s actually hard on me as well. This lonely feeling keeps on shaking me. Thing is, I have no choice but to stay away from her for the time being. I doubt I can keep myself from ever interacting with other girls. It’s impossible unless I’m jailed or dead. As I cant have what happened this time around keep on repeating itself. I know she’s the dangerously jealous type, but she has to show some restraint. And I’ll try to restrain myself concerning other girls as well. I’ve been doing that haven’t I? No longer getting excited from normal girls is proof of my love towards her. She should know that I wouldn’t cheat on her. Intentionally that is………
It was midnight when the crowd disappeared from the inn. The girls were so tired they went to their rooms immediately after a hot bath. Meila will find it hard bathing at the inn’s bath. It’s not nearly as big as our previous bath.
I’m happy. I’m really happy right now. For the past few months, my greatest mission was rescuing Leila. For that, I fought in the nightmare forest and I fought in the dungeon. Just so that I could get stronger. It took a while, but now I’ve finally achieved that goal. 
The fangs of that noble will never reach her again. If anything, he should be grateful to me for saving him from shame. The king planned to punish him severely along with Leila.
That is one load off my back. I no longer have to go to sleep thinking what hardships Leila is facing.