"Uhnnnnng..."

Kaede groaned as she turned in the bedcovers, away from the rays of light filtering around the window's sides. It was the best sleep she has had in days. Why couldn't the sun be a little more understanding?

She had always enjoyed sleeping in during winter time, as the cold ambient temperature allowed her to nestle beneath more layers of fabric. There was something comforting about the additional weight and pressure on her body, doubly so as she felt herself enveloped inside a tight cocoon of fuzzy warmth.

Now, she withdrew beneath the thick comforters and snuggled against the sheets in a stubborn attempt to retain her happiness. However her small nose brushed across something smooth and... too firm to be a pillow.

The familiar reached upwards with her hand to examine. She felt extra weight over her shoulders but she ignored it. Her thin fingers soon found something warm. And as Kaede grasped it she realized it was a rough palm.

Huh--?

The Samaran girl's eyes snapped open. Sure enough, Pascal's hand was right in front of her face, with its palm facing down and its thumbnail just touching her nose. The weight Kaede had felt on her shoulders was the rest of his arm, while the comforting warmth behind her was...

What are you doing in MY bed!?

Her thoughts were more startled than alarmed. After all, Kaede had slept in the same bed as Pascal before, though rarely so close that their bodies touched. Pascal had hugged her in bed once before also. But he had asked for permission prior and it was on a night of special circumstance!

Almost on reflex, Kaede pushed herself away from the hand in her face. However this only made her press into the rest of Pascal's body. That made it worse, far worse, as he was now spooning her. Her undergarments had left her back exposed which now pressed up against his firm chest. Yet even that wasn't the part that sent shocks through her mind and made her eyes swell to saucers...

Something hard had pressed into her butt. Jabbed, more like, since it felt like a stiff rod.

Kaede froze on the spot as her breath halted. She could feel her cheeks catching on fire. Unlike other maidens who at least had some naivety to shield them from the surprise, she knew exactly what that was.

Getoffitgetoffitgetoffitgetoffit... Her thoughts frantically raced. She rolled back the other way and flipped his arm off of her at the same time.

"Wake up!" She cried out as soon as Pascal's soft, golden locks came into sight.

The lazy, turquoise eyes that opened looked rather grumpy. Meanwhile Pascal flexed his arm and shrugged its stiff joints before focusing his attention upon her.

"What did I do to deserve abuse this early in the day?"

"W-what were you doing to me while I slept!?" Kaede cried back. "I thought this was my room and my bed!?"

Pascal paused for several moments to think back. However he never broke eye contact.

"I was keeping you company until you fell asleep, remember?" He stated. "I was about to leave when you started having a nightmare again."

"That doesn't--!" Her incensed momentum carried on a bit further before deflating into the air like a runaway balloon. "Oh..."

Awareness dawned upon Kaede as her cheeks rapidly turned scarlet. She soon found it impossible to look him in the eye and shifted her gaze away.

I didn't ask for that...

It was true that she slept unusually well last night. She didn't remember any bad dreams after Pascal came to keep her company, or even any dreams at all.

-- Yet this fact only embarrassed her further as her cheeks glowed as hot as furnaces.

She snuck a peek at Pascal's disgruntled expression before glancing away again. Her entire face now felt like it was on fire.

"T-thank you... I guess," the familiar muttered. "Sorry. You just really startled me... down there."

"I guess it has been some days since I took care of this," Pascal turned to lay on his back and sighed as though it was a bother.

That almost made Kaede laugh a little. She could understand the sentiment as it was definitely an urge that she rather welcomed not having. Kaede had never appreciated feeling like an animal with raw instincts that she struggled to control. Thankfully, her new Samaran body had never bothered her with such crude physical desires.

However, despite the fact her countenance was still beet-red, Kaede couldn't resist the temptation to add a little cheek in response:

"You mean you haven't masturbated this week?"

Pascal raised one eyebrow in mild surprise.

"Sometimes I forget that you were once male."

"Girls masturbate too, you know," Kaede pointed out, still bemused by the turn in conversation.

"Some of them, perhaps. But they never talk openly about it. They certainly do not use that uncouth word and neither should you." Pascal then insisted before his lips formed a smirk. "Though, have you done it? In your body?"

"No," Kaede answered flatly. "Never felt the need."

"Not even a little?" Pascal suggestively raised his eyebrows as he seized the opportunity to return the teasing. "Are you not interested in how it feels? You could even satisfy your curiosity while helping me. You do have the equipment now after all. And while you are on the small side, I can certainly go gentle for your first time."

Illicit images sprouted into Kaede's mind as his words reignited her prior embarrassment into a raging wildfire. The Samaran girl pulled up the bedcovers to bury her entire face before retorting from underneath.

"No! You pedophile pervert!"

"I am only three years older than you," Pascal commented as a matter of fact.

Yes but I look way younger than you! Kaede couldn't help thinking.

Her current body was that of a small girl whose height didn't even reach Pascal's shoulders unless she was wearing heels. Based on appearances alone she would estimate that she looked around sixteen. Meanwhile Pascal was twenty this year and looked even older thanks to his aristocratic bearing and ever-composed demeanor.

"Besides, if you were a boy once, then you know exactly how our urges work and how to best satiate it," Pascal added with a smirk in his voice. "And I find it a little dubious that you do not have any interest. It would certainly not be the case had I been in your shoes."

"Well you're not the one brought into another world and put into the wrong body!" Kaede retorted as she lowered the bedcovers slightly and glared at him. "So stop pretending like you understand!"

"All right, all right," Pascal sighed. "Shame. I guess I will just have to take care of this myself later."

The disheartened way he spoke sounded like he was genuinely saddened by the missed opportunity. It really made Kaede wonder if Pascal thought of her that way... or if he even used her image in his mind as a masturbation aid as boys often did with girls they find attractive.

Why did I think of that!? An uneasy shiver went through her spine before she managed to purge the thought from her mind.

Still, Kaede felt thankful that Pascal had enough self-control to not touch her inappropriately. Back on Earth, Kaede had been friends with enough girls to know that this was a common problem on dates with randy young men. And while Pascal and her were no longer typically sharing a room, that could not be said for her first month in this world back at Alisia Academy, where he didn't have any opportunity to privately 'manage his urges'.

It's actually kind of impressive, she thought about how long he had to hold himself back even as they slept in the same bed.

"Have you ever done it? As a man?" Pascal then asked nonchalantly as he sat up. It was as though he was talking about the weather.

"W-what?" Kaede was caught completely off-guard for a moment. "Uh... no?"

"Have you ever courted a girl then?" He then met her eyes with an amused, lopsided smile.

What kind of weird pillow talk is this? Kaede thought.

Was he trying to discuss as though between two men? Despite the fact she now inhabited a girl's body and he still had a hard on while sitting in her bed? The conversation was beyond awkward by any normal measure, yet Pascal himself hardly even seemed to care as he sat with his entire upper body bared. His toned arms and firm chest were both on full display as he wore a slight smirk beneath his confident, turquoise gaze.

Kaede thanked the stars that at least her new body didn't feel much attraction towards men, because Pascal was definitely both handsome and fit by the expectations of male aesthetics for every society she knew.

"Once," she finally replied to his question after an extended pause. However it wasn't an experience she really wanted to talk about. "What about you? Have you ever done it?"

She mostly just wanted to change the topic, though part of her was also curious.

"Father made sure I had a chance when I was sixteen," Pascal half-chuckled. "He just came back with a courtesan one day and said that if I did not experience it early, youthful fantasies would just blow it out of proportions. Then, being a highborn, I would be in danger of far worse sins than sex without matrimony..."

Your father really is a farsighted thinker, even in parenting, Kaede was impressed.

Considering how often young nobles took advantage of servant girls in forms ranging from coercion to outright rape, the old Marshal was certainly right to address the potential problem early. It wasn't even purely a matter of ethics, as a young lord who grew accustomed to mistreating their servants would also one day mistreat their soldiers. And that was clearly not the kind of leader that the elder Moltewitz wanted Pascal to become.

"--He also taught me how to cast a contraception spell. So tell me if you ever feel the need," Pascal's eyebrows then wiggled suggestively above a sly grin.

"Get-on-with-it before I hit you," Kaede retorted in a rush as her cheeks continued to glow.

For a moment Pascal looked like he was about to snicker. But as Kaede glared at him again, he decided to return to the topic instead:

"What can I say?" He shrugged. "It was not all it was hyped up to be. The act itself was pleasurable, sure. But the woman was dumb as a cow. It felt like my brain cells were dying just by laying next to her."

Kaede wasn't really surprised. After all, sexual activity by itself satisfied only a physical urge. The endorphins it produced did help with emotional needs, but the results were short-lived compared to a real relationship. For a young man like Pascal, who coveted an intellectual companion he could respect above all else, mere acts of lust weren't even close to enough. Unfortunately, the girls whom he could respect were also the ones who were most annoyed by his arrogance.

What Kaede did find astonishing was just how well Pascal's father knew him. Not many parents knew how to deal with their kids' puberty, especially career-focused single fathers who spent all of their time at work. Most of them lost touch with their own adolescence and began to rationalize... as though youth and hormones had anything to do with wisdom and logic.

It's no wonder Pascal has such a father complex. His Papa really is an amazing person, Kaede reflected.

"Still, I think most men your age would consider it blasphemy to call sex 'boring'," she almost giggled.

"Most males my age also behave with hardly any more intelligence than beasts," Pascal scowled as though the mere comparison was insulting to him. "If the defining goal of their youth is to lust after girls over a physical urge to reproduce, then how does that make them any better than animals in heat?"

Kaede couldn't help but let off a half-snort chuckle. Even without his acidic intonation, his choice of words made his disdain clear. Yet at the same time... this was the man whose summoning spell had turned her into a girl.

News flash: hypocrisy still as omnipresent as ever.

"But just so you know, this also does not mean that I have no interest at all," he added with an odd smile that made it clear he was willing as long as Kaede agreed. "Nevertheless I can certainly wait for a proper relationship to develop and not merely a casual affair. Addressing bodily urges is a basic matter of maintenance, no different from eating or using the chamber pot. I have no need for hormone-induced drama to derail my life."

"Though I think 'drama' is exactly what you'd have if you tried to seduce me," Kaede narrowed her eyes as she reminded him of his engagement. After all, Princess Sylviane slept only one hallway down in the guest bedrooms.

"Somehow I doubt you are the type to allow yourself to be seduced," Pascal chuckled. "Still, you are probably correct that Sylv would not look favorably upon such a dalliance." He sighed again before unraveling the bedcovers on his side and standing up from the bed.

Thankfully his short breeches seemed to have flattened during the course of their discussion.

Pascal walked over to where he left his uniform folded on her dresser chair. However just as he reached down to grab his jacket, he suddenly seemed to remember something and reached into an extradimensional belt pocket instead.

"Here, I received this for you yesterday." He said as he walked back to the bed and placed a black velvet box in her hand. "His Majesty promoted me to Colonel for my various contributions during the Battle of Nordkreuz. However since my achievements would not have been possible without your help, I thought it only right that you receive recognition for your efforts as well. The King evidently agreed."

He then opened the container to reveal a gleaming black medal outlined in white-gold. It was a Knight's Cross, a prestigious medal of Weichsel which was given in recognition of personal valor and other martial achievements that made an impact on national interests. What made the Knight's Cross special was that it was more than merely a decoration. As the name implied, all who bore it were recognized as knights, the lowest ranking members of the non-landed, non-hereditary aristocracy.

I guess I'm officially blue-blooded now...

Kaede tilted the box back as she noticed two rank insignias pinned against the lid.

"He also gave you the rank of Honorary Lance Lieutenant, since the Knight's Cross is meant to be a military medal." Pascal explained as he returned to put on his clothes, while his smiling expression continued to show his pride and approval.

However Kaede had the exact opposite reaction. She felt her chest clench as images of just what she did to earn these honors flew across her mind once more.

The young girl frowned as she sat up on the bed to lean against one pillow. She then looked for her heated cushion before pressing it against her midsection. Her period was always at its worst during the first few days. It was lessening now, but she still felt queasy in the stomach.

"I'm not sure I want a military rank," the familiar remarked. "I mean... helping you is one thing. But this army work... I'm really not cut out for it."

Pascal's lips went flat in an instant. His eyebrows furrowed in displeasure and disappointment. It was the exact opposite look from the approving gaze he held for her mere seconds ago.

Kaede looked down as she braced herself for a tirade from her master. Yet, as the moments passed, all he gave was a deep sigh.

"We would have a problem if most people enjoyed war and blood," Pascal reasoned. "It is a duty and an obligation, as the Holy Father placed us in positions of privilege for a purpose. The commoners might fantasize about silly notions of individual freedom, but if everyone simply acted as they desired... where do you think our world would be?"

I don't disagree, Kaede thought, a hint begrudgingly.

As someone who grew up in Russian Siberia and later Japan, Kaede adhered to the conservative, Eastern view of society far more than its liberal, Western counterpart. The freedom of choice might have a nice ring to it that appealed to the masses, but 'duty' should always take the highest spot of consideration when assessing that 'choice'. After all, every person had an obligation to protect their family, to uphold order in society, and to maintain the prosperity of the human race itself. Because without civil stability, the happiness of individuals was merely a fleeting illusion, one that could vanish into thin air at any time.

The Dissolution of the Soviet Union and its aftermath had taught all Russians a hard lesson. The West had called for freedom and liberalization. Yet when Gorbachev's policies failed and the Russian economy collapsed, all that Western support turned out to be little more than lip service. The same countries that promoted liberalism in Russia also did nothing but watch as their greedy corporations ransacked Russia's industrial infrastructure with the help of corrupt leaders like Boris Yeltsin. Meanwhile millions of Russian families starved as their paychecks stopped, while millions more Russia women had to prostitute themselves abroad which created the global phenomenon of 'Russian brides'...

"Yes but..." Her wispy voice then dropped to a faint mutter. "Weichsel isn't even my home country."

"You are living here, are you not?" Pascal commented sternly. "Your residency papers are Weichsen. My wealth and status which we both live on is Weichsen. If Weichsel falls into chaos and ruin, would you not be affected?"

Kaede felt like she had just been punched in the gut. It's really unfair for you to use such an example on me.

"I know, it is my fault that you are here," Pascal continued in the meantime. "I certainly will not force you to take this role if you tell me you would rather stay back at my house and do nothing. But is that what you want? To merely live a comfortable, safe life?"

The snowy-haired girl shook her head. Both of them knew that Kaede wanted far more from her life than merely 'a home and three meals per day'. Had that been the case, she would never have worked so hard to get into one of the top universities of her world.

"I have already promised that I would be your familiar and your family, and I meant it," Kaede insisted as she looked straight at him and voiced with renewed conviction. "But helping you and being part of Weichsel's army are two entirely different things."

Pascal sighed once more. There was even a hint of relief in it.

"It is just an honorary rank. It does not mean you are an commissioned officer in the King's army rosters -- that would be far too generous of a promotion. It only means you are to be recognized and respected as one. You still have neither official responsibilities nor authority, not that it stopped you from ordering a Major around during battle," he smiled again at last.

Kaede nodded back with pursed lips before closing her fingers around the box. Pragmatically, she knew this was the correct choice. It would certainly help her standing by a considerable margin, as even an 'honorary lieutenant' was due the treatment of an actively-serving officer by the townsfolk and soldiers. In the military frontier state of Weichsel, being an officer in the army was considered the most honorable profession any individual could seek.

However, that didn't make her conscience feel any better.

"Have you spoken to Major Karen since the battle?" Pascal asked as he seemed to have finally realized what was bothering her.

"Not yet," she mumbled back. It's not that easy when I'm the one at fault for turning her into a cripple.

"You really should," he suggested as he finished putting on his uniform. "She could probably help you with your troubles. More than I can, at any rate."

Pascal then turned back towards her with a curious gaze:

"I am surprised this is bothering you even more than being a girl though."

"Have I broken three of your ribs and knocked out two of your teeth over this?"

"No." He tilted his head slightly as he sought to put his impression into words: "but it feels like you are complaining about it a great deal more."

"I didn't have a choice over what my body is. I 'sort of' have a choice over this," Kaede grumbled back.

"I did not choose to be a man, or born into a military family as the son of a hero, or be betrothed for marriage into another country." Pascal shrugged before he turned back to the mirror and adjusted the Knight's Cross he wore beneath his collar. "Nevertheless, I am committed to all three of these roles, because I know there are others who depend upon me to do the right thing."