"Hahahaha! You're crazy, Ghoth! Why do you keep messing with Khafa?" Sapphire laughed as they played a simple hand game.
"If I start messing with you instead, someone might get mad," Ghoth replied casually, smearing charcoal across Khafa's face.
"Huh? Who would get mad?"
"Your master," he said, leaning closer to her ear. His voice dropped into a whisper. "I'm not trying to scare you, but he's the kind of man who would kill when angered. He used to be our Head General on where we came from."
"Hmmm… I don't think so. Big brother Dayesh is kind."
"Oooh, so it's 'big brother' now?" Khafa teased, making air quotes with his fingers. "Wasn't it 'Master' when we first arrived?"
"He said I can call him big bro, i just followed." Sapphire defending herself from the tease.
At that moment, Dayesh wasn't around. For the past few days, they had noticed something unusual about him. He often left the house without taking any quests. He would return late at night or sometimes near dawn, sleep until midday, eat, and then leave again shortly after.
"Big brother told us to watch over you," Khafa said, curiosity evident in his tone. "But we don't even know where he's been going. Was he like this before we came?"
"As far as I know… no," Sapphire answered thoughtfully. "There were times he'd be gone for days, but he always said it was for missions. Now… I have no idea where he goes. Although…" she paused, thinking, "I've noticed something. Whenever before I wash his clothes, they carry a faint, pleasant scent. Not something from here."
Khafa and Ghoth exchanged glances. Thoughts formed in their minds, but neither dared to voice them.
"Anyway," Sapphire continued, shifting the topic, "I'm glad you both know how to do housework. It's been less tiring for me."
"We had no choice but to learn," Khafa replied. "Our lives are different from Dayesh's. He grew up with servants. He never had to do anything except hunt, train, and lead."
"Ah… I see," Sapphire murmured, unable to add more.
Elsewhere…
Since the night his suppressed desires resurfaced, Dayesh had been restless. No matter what he did, he couldn't quiet the urge within him. Eventually, he found a solution he neither liked nor took pride in. He began visiting a pleasure house.
There, he met a woman named Shonia. Night after night, he returned to her.
"You won't regret choosing me," Shonia whispered seductively. "I know exactly how to move."
She slowly undressed, letting every piece of fabric fall until nothing remained. She pulled him into a kiss, her hands working deftly as she removed his clothes.
Dayesh felt himself giving in.
Her lips trailed downward, until she reached his manhood, taking him into her mouth, moving with deliberate rhythm.
He couldn't stop himself from placing a hand on her head, guiding her movements as his breathing grew heavier.
"Don't you want to be inside me?" she murmured, looking up at him.
"No," he replied firmly. "We already talked about that."
"That's such a waste… I'm already soaked, and you're the only one enjoying this," she teased softly. "Just this once. I want to feel you."
He hesitated.
"Just this once," he finally said.
Her face lit up with satisfaction. Slowly, she guided him into herself, inch by inch.
A soft gasp escaped her lips, quickly turning into deeper, breathless sounds.
"You're… so big… ah…"
Her movements grew bolder as she took control, riding him with increasing intensity.
"Hold me… kiss me…" she urged.
Dayesh obeyed, though his mind was no longer clear. Desire had taken over completely.
"Ah… this feels incredible…"
"Lower your voice," he warned.
"Sorry… but you feel different from the others," she said between breaths. "If I were your wife, I'd never get tired of you. But this… this is enough. At least I earn something."
He said nothing.
Instead, he moved faster, chasing his own release. When he reached his peak, he pulled away in time to avoid leaving anything behind.
Shonia clung to him, breathless.
"You're amazing… Can I be the one you come to every time desire calls you? This is already our third time."
Dayesh only sighed, dressing himself in silence before handing her payment.
"Thank you! Come again!" she called cheerfully.
"Haaah…" He exhaled deeply once outside.
He hated this.
Every time he did it, one person filled his thoughts.
Sapphire.
"What would it feel like… if it were her instead?" he muttered.
He shook his head.
"I should just focus on missions again… maybe that'll help me forget."
Near dawn, he finally returned home. Exhausted, he dropped into a chair.
From somewhere nearby, he heard voices.
"Hahaha… not now, I still have more stories, but I'm getting sleepy. Maybe later."
"Alright… your stories are fascinating. I never imagined things like that."
The door opened.
Ghoth stepped out of Sapphire's room and immediately saw Dayesh.
"What were you doing in her room?" Dayesh asked, his voice low but tense.
"We were just talking, big brother."
"Are you sure?"
"You can ask her yourself."
Ghoth knocked. "Beb, are you still awake?" calling Sapphire "Beb" that she teach him hours before as a friendly endearment.
"Why? I'm about to sleep…" Sapphire paused when she saw Dayesh. "Oh, you're back, big brother."
"He's asking what I was doing in your room," Ghoth said.
"We were just talking," Sapphire answered plainly. "What did you think we were doing?"
"Nothing," Dayesh muttered, slightly embarrassed.
"I told you, big brother," Ghoth added.
"Good night," Ghoth said, gently patting Sapphire's head. "Hey, I used the phrase you taught me."
"Good night. You should sleep too, big brother."
She closed the door.
"Follow me," Dayesh ordered.
Ghoth felt a chill run down his spine.
"Is there something going on between you two? Are you courting her behind my back?"
"N-no, big brother! Why would I do that? We're just talking!"
But deep inside, Ghoth knew something was starting to grow within him.
"Don't let me see you talking to her again," Dayesh said coldly. "Or I'll throw you out."
"Y-yes, big brother."
"Go to sleep."
Ghoth hurried upstairs.
The next morning…
"Amon, watch over Lzith for a while. I'm going to do the laundry," Sapphire said.
Amon nodded.
She noticed Dayesh and Khafa heading out.
"Beb!" she called.
Dayesh and Khafa turned. Ghoth didn't.
"He didn't even look at me," she whispered.
"We're heading out," Khafa said.
"Take care." she replied.
A few hours later, the three of them returned. T hey were already preparing for their next assignment.
Ghoth quietly approached Sapphire while Dayesh was not around.
"We shouldn't talk for now, Beb. I got called out last night. He's mad," Ghoth said in a low voice.
"Why is he mad?" Sapphire asked, surprised.
"I don't know either," he admitted, slightly uneasy.
"Alright. Let's just talk again when you have time. When things calm down," she replied gently.
"Thanks for understanding. I actually enjoy listening to your stories," Ghoth said with a faint smile.
"There will be more next time. Let's continue once everything settles down," Sapphire reassured him.
"Do you want anything as a souvenir when we come back?" Ghoth asked suddenly.
Sapphire thought for a moment, trying to choose something simple that he could easily find in any nearby town.
"Maybe… if you see a long dress in green, get that. If there's no green, purple. If there's no purple, then orange. If there's none of those, blue will do. Just make sure it's a long dress, alright?"
"Got it. I'll remember that," Ghoth nodded. "Consider it my thanks as well, for entertaining us with your stories."
"Thank you, thank you," Sapphire said with a small smile.
"Big brother is coming out. I should go now," Ghoth suddenly said, glancing toward the distance.
"Alright," Sapphire replied.
Ghoth quickly stepped away, careful not to be seen lingering too long.
Sapphire stayed where she was for a moment, watching him leave. There was a faint sense of unease in the air, though she couldn't quite explain why.
She let out a small breath and turned away, returning to her own thoughts, unaware of how carefully everyone around her seemed to be balancing their words and actions.
***
Three days later, they returned from a mission. Eliminating goblins that had been abducting women for breeding.
After receiving their reward, they left the guild.
"I'll go ahead," Ghoth said. "I need to buy something."
"Wait, I need to buy something too," Dayesh said. "Khafa how about you?"
"I'll head home." he replied.
As Ghoth followed Dayesh, he noticed something odd.
Everything Dayesh bought… was for a woman.
"Is that for Lzith?" Ghoth asked.
"Yes," Dayesh replied after a pause.
Ghoth wasn't convinced.
"Big brother really doesn't want to make it obvious… even though it already is," he thought.
"Don't you have anything left to buy?" Dayesh asked him.
"Nothing here is what I'm looking for, big brother. I'll just buy it later when you're done," Ghoth replied.
Ghoth waited until Dayesh finished his errands before excusing himself to separate from him. The man went ahead on his own, while Ghoth began walking around the marketplace.
"Hmm… where could I find shops selling women's clothing around here?" he muttered to himself.
After several minutes of walking, he finally found a store displaying various women's dresses, which he assumed was a tailoring shop. He stepped inside and began browsing through the garments carefully.
He quickly noticed that some of the colors Sapphire had mentioned were available. All he needed to do now was choose the best ones.
"But… they're all beautiful," he thought to himself. "Maybe I should just buy everything?"
He approached the tailor inside and asked for the total price of the items he had selected.
"Thirty gold coins only, young man," the woman replied.
"I'll take them all," Ghoth said without hesitation.
After paying, he continued browsing the shop, looking for additional items he could include in his gift for Sapphire.
"She mostly stays inside the house," he thought. "Maybe I should invite her out sometime."
Then his eyes landed on a matching set of a comb and mirror.
"This one looks nice. And this too," he murmured, picking them up immediately and purchasing them.
"I can't let big brother see these," he thought. "I'll just hide them in the yard for now."
When he returned home, Ghoth immediately searched for a place to conceal his purchases. He found a small tree in the yard, its base covered with thick leaves that could serve as a hiding spot.
He carefully slipped everything underneath it.
But the moment he finished...
"Why are you home late?"
"Ah… nothing. I just got caught in the wind," he quickly replied.
Sapphire walked closer to him, and Ghoth instinctively stepped back.
"I thought you said that you had a souvenir for me?" she asked.
Ghoth subtly gestured for her to lower her voice. "I didn't buy anything."
He glanced around cautiously, and when he spotted Dayesh nearby, he became even more careful with his words.
"Big brother gave me something though," Sapphire said proudly, showing a hairpin placed on the table. "Look at this. Isn't it pretty?"
Ghoth narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So it really was for Lzith?" he thought. "Big brother really doesn't want to admit anything even though it's obvious."
"I'll go upstairs first so I can change my clothes," Ghoth said before heading inside.
That evening, after dinner, once Dayesh was no longer around, Ghoth quietly knocked on Sapphire's door.
"What is it, Beb?" she asked.
"There's something hidden near the small tree. Just take it later. I don't want big brother to see me handing it to you," he said in a low voice.
"Why are you so worried about him? Would he really get mad if you gave me something?" she asked, puzzled.
"Not really," Ghoth replied, though the truth was far more dangerous than he let on. If Dayesh caught him, it might not end well at all.
"Alright. I'll get it later when I go out," Sapphire agreed.
"Just… please make sure he doesn't see you holding it," Ghoth added quickly, almost pleading.
"Okay. I won't take it out immediately then," she assured him.