Inside Lily's infirmary

 

*Kiss*

 

"Can I take that as a yes?" Yuri asked gleefully.

 

"I-interpret it however you want." Rika blushed and refused to either confirm or deny.

 

"Then I'll take that as a yes. *Kiss*" Yuri smiled and kissed Rika on her lips.

 

"Uh... It's my first time to be in a relationship, and it's even with another girl. Moreover, it was after we had sex... Don't you think we skip a few steps too fast?" (Rika)

 

"To be honest, me too. I don't know what had gotten over me, but the moment I laid my eyes on you, I was drawn into you. Maybe it was because, despite being a woman just like me, you possess the strength to fight against adversaries, which I couldn't defile and had to accept my fate. I envy you, and part of me yearn for you." Yuri said as she stared at the white ceiling.

 

"Oh, Yuri... You have me now. I don't know what will happen to us in the future, but let's make our relationship work, you and me." Said Rika as she pulled Yuri into her bosom.

 

"Hm. Please take care of me, my heroine." (Yuri)

 

"Since we have a lot of time on our hands. How about going on a date?" (Rika)

 

"Good idea. It's kind of stuffing having to spend a whole day in this room. Miss Lily said she'll come back to check on us in the evening, so we have half a day to spare." Yuri sprang up from the bed like a child going on a field trip.

 

Rika giggled at the sight, but deep down, she knew Yuri was just forcing herself to be positive. It was only until yesterday that she was released from her captive after all, though she would prefer Yuri to be happy rather than being melancholy about that. Physical injuries could be healed with time, but the same thing couldn't be said about her mind, and that was exactly why Rika wanted to be by her side and support her emotionally.

 

"Wait, we don't have any clothes to wear." Rika said as she saw the robes on the floor that they discarded during their lovemaking.

 

"Don't worry about that. Miss Lily told me that she had prepared some spare clothes for us. It should be in this closet." Yuri walked over to the closet at the corner of the room and checked inside. Indeed, within are 2 clothes folded neatly side by side. They even have their names on it.

 

After wiping off their sweat, Yuri and Rika put them on. The clothes fitted them to the T, and surprisingly, the fabric was of high quality and felt comfortable.

 

They looked at each other awkwardly, wondering who exactly is Lily. Not only could she nonchalantly afford to spend a fortune on people she had just met for the first time in spite of claiming to be a denizen of the slum, but she could also prepare clothes that perfectly fit them on such short notice.

 

In the end, they decided to drop the matter. They dread the idea of knowing the answer, leading to them learning about how much Lily had spent on them. There was a saying that curiosity killed the cat, and one of them was a cat. It was best to avoid the landmine whenever possible.

 

After informing the girl at the front desk, they left the building.

 

"They seem like nice people." (Yuri)

 

"True. I thought they would look stern and scary like any other hoodlums. I didn't even feel an ounce of animosity from them. They genuinely welcome our stay. I guess Bruno's gang isn't as bad as the others. Maybe that's why they could survive this long." Rika shared her thoughts.

 

"Let's leave it at that since we are in debt of them. Rika, do you have somewhere you want to go?" Yuri asked.

 

"Can we drop by my home first for a bit? I need to send my report about my mission and pick up something. I'm free to go anywhere after that." (Rika)

 

"Sounds good. Let's go!" Taking Rika's hand into her own, Yuri led the way only to be held back by Rika.

 

"Wait, do you even know where my home is?" (Rika)

 

"Oh..." (Yuri)

 

It wasn't far from the brothel. Rika and Yuri walked side by side as they enjoyed each other's company and chatted about trivial things, sometimes about what they saw on their way. After walking for 15 minutes, they arrived at Rika's house, more accurately, her apartment. 

 

Rika stayed in an apartment complex.

 

Rika briefly introduced Yuri to the old manager and retrieved the key to her room.

 

The building was three floors tall, and Rika's room was on the second floor.

 

*Click*

 

"Welcome to my humble abode. Oh, and don't forget to change into these indoor slippers." Rika led Yuri inside.

 

It was quite spacious for one person. The entrance led to the living room. It has one master bedroom, one separate bathroom next to the living room, one kitchen large enough to use as a dining room, and a balcony.

 

"Wow! It's so huge! Are you secretly a daughter of some noble?" Yuri fiddled as she looked around. Not only was each room spacious, but high-end appliances and furniture also decorated it, and they all looked new.

 

"Hihihi. Actually, it was a boon from working in the army. Don't tell anyone, okay? I also received some of Lady Eris's inventions to test their usage." With hands on her hips, Rika pushed her chest out and said.

 

"Amazing!" Yuri walked around the living room, and then she stopped at the door and asked, "Rika, is this the bedroom? Can I take a look inside?"

 

"Sure." Rika answered reflexively while her nose was pointing at the ceiling, but then she remembered it was a bad idea since she had been neglected in doing her laundry for three days.

 

Before she could rush to stop Yuri, the door opened, revealing the sloppiness of the cat girl.

 

On the queen-size bed were a couple of underwear, which clearly were used. Next to the nightstand was a basket full of laundry that hadn't been washed. The bed itself was untidied, the bedsheet and blanket were rolled up messily, and the pillows were in the middle of the bed with underwear on top of them.

 

"..." Yuri turned around and looked at Rika.

 

"A-Ahahaha. Life has been so busy lately, so I couldn't find the time to clean them up. Ahahaha..." Rika laughed dryly as she attempted to gloss over her sloppiness.

 

"Rika, speak no more. You do whatever you come home to do, and in the meantime, I'll take care of this." Yuri rolled up her sleeves and entered the messy bedroom, leaving the dumbstruck Rika hanging at the door.

 

It took Rika a while to come back to her senses. She awkwardly walked into the bedroom and kneeled down next to the bed. She dragged a big chest from underneath the bed. It was where she kept her weapons. She picked up a few weapons and tried to fit them on her hips and sleeves, and the ones that didn't fit were tossed back into the chest.

 

*Clank* *Clank*

 

Yuri walked past behind Rika while holding the basket. She peered over her shoulder and saw that even her equipment was disorganized despite there being compartments and hangers to put them in.

 

"Rika, once you're done, leave the chest there. I'll sort it out later." Yuri said next to Rika's ear, making the cat girl yelped in surprise.

 

"Y-Yes!" Rika said as she retreated back to the living room to write up the report about her job. Staying next to Yuri right now would just dig a deeper hole for her.

 

Thanks to the appliances, Yuri only needed to put the clothes in the machine and press the button, so it didn't take long for her to finish with the laundry, though she still needed to wash the underwear by hand and hang them up to air dry. As for the weapon chest, she had to ask Rika for instructions since it wasn't her area of expertise. 

 

Luckily, only Rika's bedroom was in such a disastrous state. Once she finished tidying up the bed, she was greeted by Rika with a glass of juice in the living room.

 

The sweet and sourness of the juice, combined with the coldness of the drink, washed her weariness away.

 

"Thank you for the drink. It was delicious." (Yuri)

 

"E-Eh... No. I should be the one saying that. Thank you for cleaning up my room.

 

"About that, I hope you don't have me for that. I kind of like cleaning, so I couldn't stand seeing the room in that state. I'm sorry." (Yuri)

 

"No no no. I really appreciate your help. I should have cleaned them up before they amassed like that. I guess I'm still not used to living alone. Ahahaha." (Rika)

 

"Right, I see that the furniture and appliances look new. So you must have moved here just recently, right?" (Yuri)

 

"Yeah. I've been staying at the army's dorm until four months ago. Due to the transfer of my job, I moved here since it's closer to commute. By day, I work at the lingerie store as a cover, and at night, I receive work from time to time from the army." (Rika)

 

Rika stood up and walked over to the balcony. Then she leaned out and whistled. A few seconds later, a pigeon flew down and landed on top of her shoulder.

 

"This is Dove the dove. He's my messenger that I use to contact the army." Rika tied a small piece of paper into the pigeon's leg and rubbed its head before sending it on its way.

 

"Wow! That's so cool." Yuri clapped as she watched the pigeon fly away toward the royal castle.

 

"Thank you. But really, this much space and only me living here is kinda lonely. So Yuri, will you live here together with me?" Rika sat down next to Yuri and looked her in the eyes.

 

For Yuri, it was a luxury that she hadn't even dreamed of, much less living in one. Back when she was still living with her husband, their house was a small room behind the store, with only a kitchen and a living room with a detached bathroom. 

 

As much as she wanted to live together with Rika, they had just started their relationship, so she wouldn't want to intrude on Rika more than she already had, at least not until she could contribute more to their relationship.

 

"Thank you for the offer. But actually, Miss Lily said she would arrange a place for me when she got back. Moreover, I keep receiving from you, Rika, yet I am unable to give you back anything. I don't want to take advantage of your kindness. I want us to slowly build up our relationship." Yuri firmly grabbed Rika's hands and looked into her eyes.

 

"Wrong! That's not true!" Rika pushed Yuri down on the couch and climbed on top of her. "You have already given me what I wanted. From time to time, I have this bad nightmare that I can't sleep. So I want you to be by my side when that happens. And I want to hear you say 'welcome home' after my job. I also want to greet you back when I return home. You have no idea how lonely I feel returning to this empty home every day."

 

*Drip*

 

A drop of tear landed on Yuri's cheek.

 

(Ah... She must have felt lonely living by herself.) Yuri thought.

 

Without saying a word, Yuri reached out with her hands and pulled Rika down. Words were unneeded as she sealed the cat girl's trembling lips with her own.

 

The room was silent, but occasionally, sounds of mucous membranes hitting and ragged breathing could be heard.

 

Their lips refused to detach; they only separated to catch a breath and soon clinging back to each other.

 

"*Kiss* Help me convince Miss Lily, okay? *Kiss*" (Yuri)

 

"*Kiss* Gladly! *Kiss*" (Rika)

 

*Rustle*

 

Rika reached under Yuri's clothes and slowly pulled them up. Her hands soon came into contact with Yuri's smooth skin. However, before she could reach further up to her chest, Yuri stopped her.

 

"Wait. We can do that later tonight. Don't forget we still have to go on a date." (Yuri)

 

"Oh, right. I forgot. Let's go then." Rika said as she reluctantly separated from Yuri and pulled her off the couch. However, she knew that Yuri herself also held back from having sex with her, judging from how hot her skin had become and how flustered her cheeks were.

 

The two left the apartment and returned the key to the old manager.

 

Since they hadn't had breakfast, their first stop was a food stall that Rika recommended. Although Rika's choice of meal for breakfast was questionable, Yuri had to admit that the honey-roasted beef skewers with bread really hit the spot.

 

As for Rika, she was surprised to learn that Yuri could easily figure out not only the ingredients but also how to cook them. She was also exhilarated when Yuri said she would cook it for her.

 

Despite living alone, Rika barely knew how to cook, so learning that her girlfriend was a good cook really made her happy with this new relationship.

 

After filling their belly, they strolled through the marketplace and checked out the shopping district. Rika also learned that it hadn't been that long since Yuri arrived in the capital, so everything was new to her. Seeing how happy she was also put a smile on her face. She stopped every now and then whenever something piqued her interest, and as a village girl, almost everything caught her attention. From magicians performing on the street to buildings with unique designs, all of them were things Yuri saw for the first time.

 

It was no wonder, however, since she was caught in that ordeal not long after she got to the capital.

 

"Are you having fun, Yuri? Though I don't think I need to ask." Rika asked.

 

After two hours of walking around, they decided to take a short break at a cafe terrace.

 

"Are you kidding!? I'm having a blast right now. I've never known the capital has so many beautiful and interesting things." 

Yuri said as her smile beamed brightly under the sun. 

 

"Hahaha, I'm glad you like it." (Rika)

 

"Dear customers, here's your order. Two original non-alcoholic cocktails and two strawberry shortcakes." A clerk brought them the drink Rika ordered for them.

 

Since most of the items on the menu were unknown to Yuri, she decided to let her partner order for her.

 

The drink had a mellow citrus taste, which brought out more of the sweetness from the cake. The sight of Yuri slowly nibbling the cake reminded Rika of a squirrel. Then she remembered that it must have been a while since Yuri enjoyed a snack.

 

"Once you've had enough rest, let's go check out some other places. I'm sure you'll find many more landscapes to your liking." (Rika)

 

"Nnh. I can't wait!" (Yuri)

 

*Crash*

 

"Kyaahh!!! Someone, help! Thief! He took my purse!"

 

Suddenly, a woman's voice cried out for help. When Rika and Yuri turned their eyes to the direction of the voice, they saw a stout man bulldozing people on his way as he ran toward their direction.

 

While Yuri's face became paler by the second, Rika calmly took out a small knife from her sleeve and threw it at the thief's foot. The sharp object effortlessly stabbed his ankle.

 

"Urrgh."

 

The sharp pain in his foot caused the thief to tumble down to the ground and stop right before he reached Rika's foot. The fall must have caused his head to hit the ground hard; the thief lost his consciousness.

 

"Peh! Don't you dare ruin my date." Rika spat on the ground as she stepped on the thief's back and retrieved the purse under him. She dusted it off and saw the woman who was running after him caught up.

 

"Ma'am, I believe this is yours." Rika handed it to the woman.

 

"Thank you so much! I wouldn't know what to do without your help!" The woman shook Rika's hand to express her gratitude.

 

"Don't mention it. And please inform the guard to apprehend this man. We'll be on our way then, be careful." Rika looked back at Yuri and continued. "Let's go."

 

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

 

As Rika took Yuri's hand and walked away, rounds of applause from behind caused Rika to flush and quicken her step.

 

"Wow, that was so cool. Rika, you're amazing!" Yuri exclaimed as she ran behind Rika.

 

"T-Thanks." (Rika)

 

The two spent the rest of the afternoon without any trouble. Rika took Yuri to the park to visit the flower garden, and then, with special privilege, Rika took her to the noble district to window shopping the stores over there and to see more unique architects.

 

Half a day time passed in the blink of an eye. Now that dusk was approaching, the sky turned a tinge of orange. Rika led them to a place where she called a secret spot.

 

"Uwaahh... This view is amazing..." Yuri said as she held her breath in awe.

 

From where they were, they could see the entire city below them, as well as the horizon where the sun was setting.

 

"How do you like that? This is my favorite spot whenever I want to be laid back." (Rika)

 

"This scene is stunning. Thank you for bringing me here." (Yuri)

 

"Hehehe." Rika laughed and stood next to Yuri. Then she heard a faint gasp from her.

 

"Ah..." (Yuri)

 

"Hm? What's wrong?" Rika asked.

 

"I can see it, my old house. It was the one with a green rooftop next to the forge with an orange chimney." Yuri pointed at where her old house was.

 

"I see it. Wait... If I remember correctly, the country seized that house because they found illegal activities in their operation. It was sold to a family just short of a month ago." (Rika)

 

"I see... We bought it since because it was cheap. Me and my late husband thought that we had hit a jackpot for getting such a deal on the house. Turns out it was cheap because it was next to the forge. I lost count of how many times we were woken up in the middle of the night because of the noise, hahaha..." Yuri chuckled as she looked melancholy while gazing at the house.

 

Although a little far away, Yuri could still see the daughter playing in the backyard while her parents waved at their child. Perhaps her future would be like that had she and her late husband not been tricked by Oris and his men.

 

"Do you want to see it? I can ask the family living there to let you in." Rika asked. She noticed that the corner of Yuri's eyes had become wet.

 

"No, it's alright. It's in the past. Now I have you, Rika. Will you stay by my side?" Yuri reached out with her shaking hand.

 

"Of course! Didn't I say it before? I don't know what will be in store for us, but I want to do everything to make sure it works out." Rika clasped Yuri's hands tightly in hers.

 

Unable to hold back her tears, Yuri cried and hugged Rika tightly in her arms.

 

As the sun connected with the horizon, their lips connected.

 

Along the way back to meet with Lily, they silently walked next to each other with their hands holding and fingers interlocked. They didn't need words to connect them, as their heart already united as one.

 

......

 

...

 

.