15

"Wash… me?"

"Yes."

Do girls really wash each other?

Or is this just another normal thing in this world?

"I mean… I don't really know… Is it common for girls to wash each other?"

Lily tilted her head, looking puzzled.

"Huh? Of course. My sister and I used to wash each other all the time."

Maybe that's because Lily and Dania are family…

I guess I was wrong again.

"Alright then, I'll leave it to you."

"Yes, Unnie."

As I sat on the bathroom chair, Lily moved behind me and started pouring water over me.

"Ah!"

The cold water hit my body, and I instinctively flinched, letting out a yelp.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Unnie! It'll warm up soon."

"N-no, it's fine."

Not long after, the water turned pleasantly warm.

"Is it okay now?"

"Yeah, it's perfect."

While I was enjoying the warm water, I suddenly felt something unfamiliar.

"Uh… Lily, aren't you a bit too close?"

Lily pressed herself against my back.

I don't have any strange feelings towards her, but having her so close like this was making me embarrassed.

However, she didn't seem to plan on moving away. Instead, she pressed herself more firmly against me.

"Why? Do you not like me being this close?"

"N-no, that's not it…"

Seeing Lily's hurt expression, my heart softened before I could even think.

"We're both girls, right? You don't need to be embarrassed."

Before I could reply, Lily gently moved my hair back and whispered in my ear.

"Now, I'll wash your hair, Unnie."

"Alright… Please do."

Lily smeared some oil-like liquid on her hands and began massaging my scalp.

Every now and then, her fingers would brush against my ears, tickling me, but I endured it.

Eventually, she rinsed my hair thoroughly, washing out all the bubbles.

"Thank you, Lily. Now I'll wash your-"

"Unnie, let me wash your body too."

She interrupted me, and the look in her eyes was calm yet burning with something repressed.

"N-no, it's okay! I can wash myself!"

I had a strange feeling that if I let her go further, there would be no turning back, so I rejected her offer, despite the intensity of her gaze.

She looked disappointed but spoke again.

"Then at least let me wash your back."

Lily's stare was unnervingly intense, but I didn't think she had any inappropriate thoughts about me.

"Alright, you can wash just my back."

'Maybe I'm overreacting.'

Being a former guy, this kind of intimate situation with a girl still felt unfamiliar to me, so I turned my back to Lily.

She lathered her hands with soap and placed them on my back.

Her fingers moved slowly, delicately brushing my shoulders, almost as if tickling me with her teasing touch.

"Ah!"

A soft moan escaped my lips before I could stop it.

"Are you okay, Unnie?"

Lily paused, her voice filled with concern.

"Y-yeah… I'm okay."

Hearing my reply, she resumed, her hands moving even faster.

Her touch grew rougher, and I struggled to suppress another sound. Her hands traveled all over my back in a swift but sensual rhythm.

Slowly, her fingers moved from my shoulders down to my shoulder blades.

Then to my waist. But they didn't stop there. Her hands continued to slide lower and lower until—

"S-stop!"

I grabbed Lily's hands and stood up from the chair.

"I'll take care of the rest! You should wash up too!"

Sensing that this situation was getting out of hand, I quickly rinsed the remaining bubbles off my body, got dressed, and hurried out of the bathroom.

As I rushed to open the door, what I saw on the other side was Dania, her eyes wide open and her face flushed red.

***

Lily stared at her hands, which had been touching me just moments ago.

'That sound from earlier…'

The cute yet strange moan that escaped from her own touch.

Hera had definitely felt something towards her.

Lily, who was overjoyed at the fact that she had made Hera feel good, recalled Hera's body that had been right before her eyes moments ago.

Her naked body was dizzyingly alluring, even sensual.

As she thought of Hera's body, that strange feeling came over her again.

'Not yet…'

For now, she was still just a younger sister to Hera.

She was far from being perceived as a woman by Hera.

Sometimes, when she unknowingly glanced at her older sister's chest, Lily couldn't help but feel a deep sense of defeat.

'No, I'm growing bit by bit, too.'

Shaking her head to dispel the negative thoughts, she reminded herself.

Lily, who shared the same genes as Dania, believed that one day she would grow just like her sister. With that hope in mind, she clenched her fist.

Just wait a little longer, Unnie.

When I've fully grown.

Even if you reject me then, I won't stop.

***

"Da… Dania, Unnie? Since when were you here?"

"Uh… well…"

Dania, who had burst in, was clearly flustered as she avoided making eye contact with me.

But soon, as if she regained her composure, she smiled softly and confidently.

"I came to call you since dinner is ready… But you came out just in time."

At her words, the delicious smell from the kitchen tickled my nose.

"Oh, I see… It smells so good."

"Fufu… Just go ahead and sit comfortably."

As I sat at the dining table, the food was laid out before me.

Just looking at it made my mouth water.

'Is this heaven?..'

After a pleasant bath, now savoring delicious food—it felt like the happy life I had always longed for.

If I could stay with Dania, I could spend my whole life in this place.

"This is so good… Unnie, marry me, please…"

At my sudden proposal, she widened her eyes in surprise.

But soon enough, she regained her calm and answered my confession with a playful smile.

"If it's Hera, it's fine, right? Where should we go for our honeymoon?"

Her teasing response made me giggle as I continued eating.

Dania watched me for a while before coming closer and saying,

"Hera, you're so clumsy… you've got food on your mouth."

"Huh? Really?"

Embarrassed, I quickly tried to wipe my mouth.

Chuup—

"?!"

Like sucking on a lollipop, Dania started sucking on my lips.

I could feel her tongue licking my lips intermittently.

"Mm… Hm…?!"

I was so shocked that I tried to push her away, but with her hands tightly gripping my arms, I couldn't resist at all.

Dania finally released my lips after what felt like forever.

Then, as if to cleanse her palate, she licked her own lips, looking quite sensual.

"Haa…"

"Unnie… What was that?!"

"Hm? I just wiped the food off your mouth, that's all."

"But still, this is…!"

Not wanting to hear more, Dania placed a finger on my lips and made a shushing gesture with one hand.

"This much is normal between girls, isn't it… Hera?"

As I turned my head to look at her, I saw Lily staring at me with an expression so empty, it could have been pulled straight from a novel.

"He… Her…!"

Was this déjà vu?

I felt like I'd seen this situation before.

However, Lily's expression now was much colder and more frightening than it had been before.

It was the kind of look you'd expect from someone who had just lost a beloved partner.

"Li… Lily… This is, um… just… dinner…"

I had no idea what I was saying.

In my desperate attempt to calm her down, I opened my mouth, but I couldn't find the words.

'I promised not to steal our sister!!'

How long had it been since I made that promise, and now I was showing her something like this again.

Although I hadn't initiated it, I still felt guilty towards Lily.

Looking at her with trembling eyes, I saw her sit down at the table and glare at my lips before muttering quietly,

"…I'll remove it myself."

Lily resolved herself to endure what would likely be a long night tonight.

And so, after finishing a meal tinged with a mysterious tension.

And after what seemed like a night filled with faint sounds of water.

**

The warm rays of the sun gently stroked my eyes once again.

"Mm… ahhh…."

When I got out of bed, it felt like I had stayed up all night. I noticed Lily, who was still in a deep sleep.

I stretched my body, still drowsy, and rubbed my heavy eyes as my consciousness slowly returned.

"Huh? What is this sound?"

Once I fully regained my senses, I heard a faint sound, as if something was hitting against something, trickling into my ears.

I left the room to find the source of the noise, and there was Dania, sitting at the table, staring out the window, having woken up early again today.

"Good morning, unnie."

Dania turned her head at my greeting, welcoming me with a bright morning smile.

"Oh, Hera. Did the noise wake you up too?"

"Not exactly, but I could hear it once I woke up. What's going on?"

"Hmm… I think you should check it out yourself."

Following her suggestion, I approached the window to assess the situation.

I saw a slightly altered landscape and people who seemed to be working on constructing buildings.

The once shabby structures that looked like they could have been haunted now had signs and decorations attached, making them seem like actual homes where people could live.

"They must be the people Gorzan sent."

"Yeah, it seems like it."

It appeared that Gorzan really intended to keep his promise.

My perception of him gradually began to change.

He was no longer the creepy old man who preyed on women, but a rather capable merchant.

No wonder the people of the South respected him as a king.

Yes, you really shouldn't judge a person by their appearance.

After reflecting once more on my narrow-mindedness, I made a suggestion to Dania.

"Shall we go for a walk around the streets?"

"Oh my, are you asking me out on a date?"

There she goes again.

These days, Dania often teased me like this.

To her, it might be a lighthearted joke toward her younger sister, but to me, it always felt a bit ticklish.

However, unlike before, I had grown somewhat used to it now.

I could even play along with her.

"Yes. Please go on a date with me, unnie."

When I smiled slyly and extended my hand to her, Dania seemed momentarily surprised but soon smiled seductively and gently took my hand.

"Hoo hoo… You're quite the fox, Hera."

As we stepped outside and strolled around the streets, I could see that a large number of people had been mobilized.

There were soldiers patrolling the area as if on reconnaissance, fully armed, and merchants were preparing to open their businesses in the newly constructed buildings.

"A weapon shop… a teahouse… My goodness. Even a place that sells snacks?"

In addition to the people, there were also many new buildings that hadn't existed before.

As we wandered around, observing the gradually changing scenery of the streets, one building caught my eye.

"What do you think they're building over there?"

"Who knows? It doesn't seem like a shop…"

The atmosphere felt quite cozy, not something one would associate with a business.

It looked more like a house where people would live rather than a shop.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I approached the people working on the building and found a man directing the others.

"What kind of building is this?"

I tapped the man's shoulder with my finger as I asked.

The man turned his head and said,

"Huh? Who's this girl? We're busy, get out of here."

But when he saw my face, he took a good look at my appearance and then…

"He-he-hyurk! Bl-black bear!!"

He jumped back in terror. Then, kneeling down, he began pleading with me.

"Please, just spare me this once!! I didn't recognize the Black Bear of the West because I'm just a fool."

What?

The Black Bear… of what?

Apparently, I had somehow acquired the nickname

'The Black Bear That Tears People Apart.'