Gardenia’s Heart

As they left the town hall, Lily could hear the cheerful humming of the girl in her mind.

“You’re really happy, Nia,” Lily commented with a smile on her face, her body practically dancing to the joyful tune in her mind.

(Of course I’m happy! Starting today, I’m a wife, you know~?) Nia responded playfully, explaining the reason for her immense happiness, which made Lily’s face blush once again.

“I’ll do my best as a wife too, so make sure to tell me anything you want.” As they left the inn, the two wives chatted happily about the new relationship they now shared.

Even though they were both women, Lily was happy to have her beloved wife, no matter what anyone might say. The only opinion that mattered to her was Nia's, and hers alone.

After resting as much as they could while cuddling in bed, Nia had to return inside Lily’s body. Although she felt a bit sad, Lily now felt even more filled with Nia, so for now, she was content with the situation.

(But we... really made a mess back there...) Nia’s shy voice reminded Lily of the state they had left the room in.

From the sheets to the floor, the whole room was submerged in the love juice of the two girls. Although Nia had cleaned up as much as possible, it still looked as if a major obscenity had taken place there.

Leaving the inn in the morning, Lily made a point of giving the receptionist a big tip, in apology for the state they had left the room in.

“They didn't complain directly, but... For now... we'll try to do this sparingly until we get our own bed...” As she said this, Lily felt the inside of her legs heat up and a thin liquid collects there.

Even though she tried to avoid it, just remembering Nia's beautiful naked body was enough to make her want to continue pleasuring her here and now. So she knew that the same situation would probably repeat itself next time.

(From the way the receptionist looked at us... it must have been obvious that they heard our... 'screams')

When they were making love, they were both so hypnotized by the act that they didn't even think to lower the volume of their moans, which must have been heard throughout the inn.

Completely flushed, Lily decided not to dwell on it any longer and hurried toward the commercial district as quickly as possible. Since they had teleported back to their room, they hadn’t sold the items they collected to get money for the map.

Now that Nia could create portals to any place they had already visited, they could go straight to the town hall. So, Nia opened a portal to the first floor of the labyrinth, and Lily climbed the stairs to the town hall lobby to make the sales.

After selling the items, and with the coins they received in exchange for the potions, the girls now had a little over twenty gold coins.

Before they went to buy the map, Nia insisted they get new clothes for Lily. Knowing how eager her beloved wife had been for this for a long time, Lily entered a relatively popular-looking shop and headed toward the young clerk.

“Hello, I’d like to buy an outfit.”

Although Lily wished for Nia to choose the outfit, neither of them had a particularly strong sense of fashion. Nia wanted her wife to wear the best outfit possible and was determined to use all the help she could get to make it happen.

The clerk took a good look at Lily’s beautiful figure, as Nia had avoided covering her front with the cloak to make it easier to find a suitable combination.

Feeling the challenge of dressing a woman with almost divine proportions, the clerk rushed to the back of the store, pulling out a measuring tape to take Lily’s measurements. Her expression matched her dropped jaw, as she couldn’t believe the numbers she was writing down.

Lily had always known her breasts were above average, but watching the woman completely flustered was somewhat embarrassing.

“Are they really… that big?” Lily murmured softly enough that only Nia could hear, and she was soon answered with a proud voice.

(My beloved wife’s breasts are the greatest among the greatest.)

Being called “wife” by Nia made Lily feel good. She had realized this a long time ago, but now she was certain she was completely in love.

“My breasts are only my beloved wife's, so be sure to fondle them later~” Whispering temptations to Nia, she laughed as she heard the girl moan in embarrassment.

(I'll look forward to cuddling them all night long this time) The excited response threatened to make her lose herself in thought. Teasing Nia was starting to get dangerous.

After finishing the measurements, the woman presented the only clothes that would fit Lily’s size. All the options were dresses, and since long skirts would restrict movement, Lily decided to focus on those that allowed for easier walking.

Although she preferred pants, she chose to wear long stockings to compensate for the exposed legs and began deciding with Nia which dress to pick.

Among all the dresses, one in particular caught Lily’s eye, and she headed to the fitting room.

“Don’t peek until I’m done changing,” Lily requested, her cheeks puffed out as she wanted to surprise her beloved. Understanding her intentions, Nia dimmed her visual sensors and enhanced her mana detection for safety.

A few minutes later, Lily finished changing and told Nia she could look. When Nia shifted her attention to the girl, she felt her heart skip a beat.

The dress Lily had chosen was black. Unlike her usual outfits, this one didn’t hide her chest. While it covered her collarbone, the black fabric descended in a U-shape, hugging her curves and only covering the necessary parts, leaving much of her chest exposed.

Around her waist, obsidian-colored ruffles wrapped around her like ribbons. The skirt had a mullet style, with the front shorter and the back covering her hips and thighs almost down to the floor. It seemed designed not to restrict movement. The inner lining was light blue, matching the eye that was usually visible. The outfit had no sleeves, but instead, a black glove with a rose-like texture extended from her elbow down to her ring finger. To complete the look, a black choker with blue ruffles adorned her neck.

Lily had always believed comfort came before style, but after feeling the fine fabric against her skin, she realized she was wrong. The dress was comfortable and didn’t restrict her movements. However, she was still completely flushed—she had never worn anything so revealing or of such high quality before.

As Lily waited for Nia’s comment, she stared at the floor with growing timidity. Although she thought she was ready to wear something like this, every passing second without Nia’s approval made her want to take the dress off and hide under a large pile of blankets.

After a few more moments, Lily began to think the dress didn’t suit her, but then she noticed her long gown was already dissolving, absorbed by Nia’s body.

“Nia!? What are you doing?” she exclaimed in a mix of confusion and surprise, trying to keep her voice low so as not to alarm the shop attendant waiting outside.

(We’re taking it) Nia’s voice was short as if she couldn’t even form proper words.

Nia was utterly mesmerized. Seeing Lily in such a beautiful outfit was too much for her mind to process.

“Does it suit me…?” Lily asked, still a bit shy, as she watched the dress reform after being absorbed by Nia, with the black cloak once again covering her back.

(Lily, at times like this, I wish I were better with words to express myself, but since I’m not, I’ll just speak my mind.)

Hearing Nia’s serious tone, Lily swallowed, feeling her heart flutter.

(You are absolutely stunning. The dress suits you beautifully. You’re beyond perfect, more radiant than the heavens and the cosmos, to the point where I want to spend the entire day just looking at you. Lily, you are more beautiful than any other woman in the entire world.)

After Nia finished her heartfelt declaration, she was surprised to hear a soft laugh escape from Lily.

“You say you're not good with words, but you just gave me the greatest compliments I've ever received,” Lily said, her face now relaxed and wearing a genuine smile.

(I’ll make sure to compliment you even more from now on,) Nia promised with conviction.

After paying for the dress, the two left the store.

“Are you sure it’s okay not to choose something for yourself?” Lily asked as she looked at the remaining coins. Although they still needed to buy the map and stock up on food, there was enough left to get something for Nia as well.

(As long as I have a basic idea, I can create something later. I’ve got something in mind for our next evening.) Nia’s playful laughter made Lily blush as she imagined what her beloved had in store, likely planning a surprise.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the weapons shop. Upon entering, they were greeted by the broad smile of a woman with orange hair.

“Hey, good to see you again... and in one piece!”

Although she was only about 1.5 meters tall, the middle-aged woman had an aura that would stand out even in a crowd. Flashing her slightly sharp teeth, she let out a cheerful sigh as she noticed Lily’s new black dress.

“You weren’t wearing those clothes the last time you came in. Can I assume your expedition into the labyrinth was a success?”

Approaching the counter, Lily placed ten gold coins on the table before a small smile crossed her face.

“It was a bit challenging, but I managed to get the money for the map. Thank you so much for your help, ma’am. If it weren’t for you telling me about the labyrinth, I would’ve been lost.”

Lily bowed slightly to show her gratitude. Even though she had nearly been killed—or rather, had been killed—by the guardian and endured a lot, she had gained much more than just gold for the map thanks to the labyrinth.

“Don’t worry about it, but you don’t look as strong as you are.” The woman took the ten gold coins and pulled a map out from under the counter. “Normally, it takes groups of mages at least one or two weeks exploring the firsts levels to get this amount.”

Laughing with mixed emotions, Lily took the small map she was handed and slowly unfolded it, only to frown.

She had never seen or used a map before, but she thought she would be able to understand the drawings and markings. However, her expectations were quickly dashed when she saw the overwhelming amount of numbers and letters scattered across the various points on the drawn topography.

“Oh, is this your first time seeing a Beacon’s map?” The confusion on Lily’s face was clear enough for even the blacksmith to notice.

“Beacon’s map?”

The word was new to both Lily and Nia.

Noticing that she would need to explain in more detail, the orange-haired woman picked up a small circular object. The item was made of a silver material with a slight grayish tint, featuring a small needle in the center that trembled slightly and a small gear at its edges.

“This is, and at the same time, isn’t considered common knowledge, but I’ll explain it anyway. In the mist, magnetic poles become less reliable, which makes compasses not very accurate. So, knowing the cardinal directions becomes quite difficult.”

She placed the instrument on the table and motioned for Lily to come closer and open the map on the surface.

“Of course, you can try navigating by the sun. We know it always rises in the East, but the refraction from the mist can alter where its light appears. So, for safer navigation, several mana-powered signalers are set up along the routes within the fog.”

With her finger, she pointed to a few highlighted spots.

“Do you see this string of code? That’s the frequency you input into this device, called a Mana Compass. Once you program it, it will start pointing toward the selected beacon.”

Taking her time to process the explanation, Lily asked, “If it always points to the chosen one, why can’t we just input the furthest one and head straight there without making any detours?”

“Good question! The signal range of these beacons isn’t that large, so they’re spread across strategic points with moderate safety. When you reach a particular beacon, input the code for the next one and head toward it, while paying attention to the warnings on the map. These marked signalers are for public use. If you want a quicker route, you’d have to get a merchant’s map, as I mentioned earlier. The larger caravans dealing with stardust and food tend to have their own private beacon to prioritize their trade, so I doubt they’d sell their business secrets.”

Understanding the woman’s explanation, Lily examined the map to locate the first beacon she should head toward. The map was recent, showing relatively safe rest points and recent sightings of monster groups.

“To use the map, I’ll need the Mana Compass. How much does it cost?”

“It’s usually a bit pricey, but I’ll sell it to you for one gold coin. How does that sound?”

Seeing the orange-haired woman tap her chest proudly while smiling, Lily nodded with a smile and placed two gold coins on the table.

“Take this as a thank you for all the information.”

Watching the silver-haired mage bow slightly in another show of gratitude, the blacksmith looked slightly surprised.

“I’ve had visits from mages from Caligo or the capital before, but out of all the ones I’ve met, you’re truly the most unique.” Placing her rough hand on her chin, the woman continued, “Most mages are more full of themselves and love to show off their powers—not that I’m complaining about how you behave.”

Chuckling softly in response to the woman’s remark, Lily said, “Given all the mages I’ve met so far, I feel like that might be true.” Stowing the compass and the map inside her black cloak, Lily remembered something. “I realize I haven’t introduced myself until now. My name is Lily.”

“A pleasure, Lily. And where are my manners? I’m Agatha.”

Both women laughed before Lily started to leave the establishment.

“Well, I’m off. Thank you so much for all your help, Miss Agatha.”

“Safe travels, Lily. If you ever return to the city, come visit me.”

Hearing Agatha’s words, Lily paused for a moment before responding, “Don’t worry, I plan to keep working with you in the future. I’ll be back when I finally have enough money to buy a weapon.”

Now that Nia’s abilities had improved, she could travel back and forth from the Stardust Spring for supplies at any time. Although there were likely better blacksmiths further north, Lily appreciated how kindly and confidently Agatha had treated her, so she intended to keep working with her.

“You really are something special. Alright then, come whenever you like, and I’ll make sure to prepare the best weapon you could ever get in this world,” Agatha laughed, waving to Lily as she left the shop. “But compared to the last time, you seem noticeably happier. Did something good happen?”

“Ah, yes, for a very special reason,” Lily smiled before stepping out the door. “I got married today.”