Gardenia’s Heart

“I have confirmed the passage of three days. Thank you very much for your stay in the city. Please come back whenever you wish.”

After giving a slight nod to the guard and handing over the hourglass used to measure the allowed three days, Lily headed back to the forest. She took out the map and compass to analyze the path ahead.

“Nia, can you help me with this?”

Lily asked her beloved, who had been strangely quiet for the past few minutes. Ever since they left the blacksmith’s shop, Nia seemed lost in thought and hadn't said anything, even after Lily passed through the city gates.

“Nia?”

(Ah, yes, what is it, Lily?)

Nia’s slightly timid voice echoed in her mind, causing a flicker of concern in Lily.

“Are you okay? You’ve been so quiet since we left, I started to worry.”

A few long seconds passed before Nia’s shy voice responded again.

(Lily, do you promise not to laugh?)

“You know I’d never laugh at you, Nia. You can always be honest with me. Did something happen?”

More moments passed, and finally, Nia spoke again.

(W-When you told Agatha that you got married... I was so, so happy... everything feels like a dream even now.)

Lily’s concerned expression melted into a warm smile as she placed a hand over her heart to calm her shy wife.

“Even though I’m a bit nervous too, I’m really happy to be married to you, Nia. So don’t worry, it’s not a dream.”

In the blink of an eye, a naked girl with purple hair and red eyes appeared beside Lily and stole a kiss from her before disappearing almost instantly.

It was only for a second, but Lily didn’t miss the deep blush on her face.

“That’s not fair, you know?”

(What are you talking about?) Nia responded with a playful laugh, leaving Lily pouting in protest. (We’ll continue this later; first, let’s figure out where we’re heading.)

Two tentacles emerged from Lily’s back, spreading the map open. A marking on the mountain’s edge indicated where the Star Dust city was located, confirming their current position.

With her hands free to work, Lily used the small gear on the compass to calibrate the frequency for the nearest beacon. After a few minutes of turning the gear, the beacon’s frequency appeared below the arrow inside the compass, which immediately started pointing in a specific direction.

Confident they had calibrated it correctly, the two girls began following the compass at a steady pace.

As they walked, they chatted happily, and before they knew it, what was supposed to take two days had been covered in just half a day.

“This is really strange,” Lily remarked.

(It is,) Nia agreed.

Before them stood a pyramid-shaped structure made of black stone, with a small blue gem resting at its top.

As Lily waved the compass in all directions, she noticed that the arrow always pointed toward the dark stone structure.

Nia’s two purple tentacles began touching the beacon. She focused for a while, and finally, the structure began to take shape in her mind.

(The materials seem modern, but the technology used mimics relics from the Sylvan era. Though I can’t replicate it with the knowledge I have right now, I can understand its function to a certain extent.)

Hearing Nia’s explanation, Lily opened her mouth in surprise. 

“You were able to figure all that out just by touching it!?” 

Lily couldn’t help but be shocked. Up until now, Nia had always had quick deductions, but those were mostly limited to spells she could see or absorb. A detailed analysis just by touch seemed like something from another world to Lily. 

(After consuming the second Book of Truth, it seems like a whole new flood of knowledge is being introduced into my mind as if the blank gaps are being filled in.) 

“That’s interesting. We should search for information on the next labyrinth as soon as we reach the next city. Nox didn’t tell us where his companions are, but if we explore them all, we’ll find the other volumes eventually.” 

If what the guardian said was true, they already had a third of the collection that made up the Book of Truth. With Nia’s safety on the line, Lily wanted to prioritize this quest above all else.

After setting the coordinates for the next beacon on the Mana Compass, Lily noticed the arrow shift in a new direction and began walking. 

As she observed the uneven terrain and tall trees expanding for what could be dozens of kilometers, she frowned slightly. 

“Nia, I was fully aware of this already, but you’ve become really strong, haven’t you?” 

Lily knew that by coating part of her body with mana, she could gain a significant boost in strength and defense. When she enveloped her eyes with mana, Lily could spot Snow Foxes hiding in the dense vegetation. Even though they were only a few dozen meters away, the thick fog made it difficult to see them.

Breathing softly to ease the fatigue from using her own mana, Lily let her intention flow through her mind, and quickly, a dense dark mana—always abundant for her in large mountains—covered her entire body. Her vision sharpened to the point where she could see the tremors of the monsters’ bodies as they watched her from a distance, fearful. 

She had a suspicion while heading toward the first beacon, but now she was certain. All the monsters in the forest were avoiding them. 

(I found that unexpected too. Even though I’m containing the dark mana, the monsters still seem to sense it instinctively.) 

Nia was always monitoring the surroundings with mana detection, so she had noticed the monsters’ movements from the start. Since they didn’t pose any threat to Lily, she chose to ignore them while staying aware of any suspicious behavior.

The white-haired girl stopped using dark mana for combat enhancement and instead focused a bit of her own blue mana at her fingertips. Carefully, she formed a small, clear ice crystal. 

“I’m getting a little more used to manipulating my mana, but I’m still far from where I need to be.” 

Though she had somehow defeated the guardian with a suicidal attack, she doubted she could win against the monsters, now scared of Nia, if she had to fight purely with her own mana. 

Since Nia had absorbed the second book, the amount of dark mana available had increased exponentially compared to Lily’s. If Lily had to compare it, it would be like comparing a cup of water to an entire lake. As absurd as it seemed, it was an undeniable truth now.

(Don't worry about the speed of your progress, Lily. You can use all the dark mana I have as you wish without hesitation. Everything that's mine is yours.) 

“Thank you for always taking care of me, Nia.” 

Feeling warmth grow within her at Nia's words, Lily smiled as she resumed walking toward the next beacon. Even though it wasn’t her own strength, Lily had made a vow during the fight against the guardian: there was no shame in relying on the support of her beloved. While Lily couldn’t match Nia’s power, she could still do and understand things that were beyond the metamorph’s abilities. Helping her beloved and depending on her was also an expression of love, and she was proud of that.

After walking for the rest of the day, the girls reached the next beacon. Checking the map, they realized that the distance to the next one couldn’t be covered before nightfall. Though they could see in the dark, they decided to rest in one of the caves marked as a “safe zone” on the map. 

While Nia could create a portal to return to the city for the night, allowing them to sleep at the inn and resume the journey at dawn, they opted to rest on the road for some privacy. 

As they entered the small cave, they noticed remnants of campfires from a few days earlier, likely left by another group traveling this common and inexpensive route. 

Inspecting the entrance, Lily combined her mana with Nia's to create a wall of blue and black crystal ice to block any curious fearless monsters. Since the last battle, ice magic had become one of her favorite tools in her arsenal. 

As Lily ventured deeper into the cave, she prepared to sit down and sleep on her cloak, but something stopped her. 

“What!?” 

Her cry of surprise was justified when she realized a large bed had appeared beneath her. 

Lily was astonished at how warm and comfortable the bed felt. The blankets reminded her of the texture of her cloak, and the soft pillows seemed to be lined with Snow Fox fur. 

Above her, a dark canopy draped over the bed like a small roof, shielding the cave from view as though they were inside a cozy house. 

(What do you think?) Nia’s confident voice echoed in her mind as Lily continued to take in the drastic change in their surroundings with awe. 

“I didn’t know you could create so much now.” 

Touching the soft, dark blanket, Lily noticed the scent of flowers filling the bed. 

(Since I’ve expanded my body, I’ve gained more “material” to work with, but that’s not the end of the surprises.) 

When a look of curiosity crossed Lily’s face, she felt something slip down her back before two arms wrapped around her neck in a gentle embrace. 

Just as she thought of reacting, a warm breath reached her ear, sending shivers down her spine. 

Turning slowly, she found herself face-to-face with a girl with purple hair, wearing sensual lingerie beneath a nightgown. Her rosy lips curled into a teasing smile, and with a voice that melted her senses, she spoke. 

“It’s time for our wedding night.” 

Still speechless, Lily swallowed hard as she gazed at Nia, more stunning than ever in front of her. 

The sheer black nightgown Nia had chosen fell just below her hips, semi-transparent and teasingly revealing. Her arms and collarbone were draped in an onyx cardigan adorned with floral patterns that subtly showcased her skin. Beneath it, she wore a black bra and panties, both trimmed with small ribbons that added a delicate, frilled touch. The contrast between her dark top and her bare, white legs was an alluring sight, far too tempting for anyone to keep their composure. 

Lily’s jaw dropped as she took in Nia’s almost ethereal beauty. Nia wasted no time, leaning in and stealing Lily’s lips for the second time that day. 

Her thin, delicate tongue slipped into Lily’s mouth, sending a surge of sensation that threatened to overwhelm her already fragile self-control. 

Lily could feel Nia’s silky purple hair brushing against her face, its softness adding to the overwhelming comfort and pleasure. Unable to resist, Lily wrapped her arms around Nia, pulling her tightly against her chest, feeling her lover’s warmth, and pressing her close against her full bosom. 

Nia shivered with pleasure as she felt herself enveloped by Lily's big, full mountains. Unable to control herself any longer, she dissolved all the girl's clothes before starting to rub her breasts with her free hands.

“Nhmm”

As the movement intensified, Lily couldn't keep her moans trapped inside the lips sealed by the kiss and pulled the two mouths apart. Not wanting to slow down, Nia began to use her tongue to lick Lily's hard nipples.

“N-Nia~!”

“You're so cute while you're moaning my name.”

Feeling a new emotion growing inside her, Nia threw Lily against the mountain of pillows and sat on top of her. Licking her lips, she put one of her legs between Lily's and lay on top of the girl while moving vertically.

“Ah...! More, don't stop”

Biting her lips, Lily could feel the inside of her crotch beginning to leak liquid as Nia's legs stimulated her clitoris. The purple-haired girl began to squeeze and pull Lily's breasts while licking her neck, slowly moving up until she found her lips and ended up on her right earlobe.

“You're beautiful Lily, the most beautiful woman in the world”

While praising her with hot breath, she began to nibble Lily's ear and put more force into her knee.

“Nia... Nia... Nhmm”

Nia didn't miss how Lily's whole body began to arch as she grabbed her body and dug her teeth into her neck.

Although she was squeezing hard, Nia didn't feel any pain, just a lacerating pleasure that invaded her mind as Lily's tiny teeth nibbled at her pink skin.

“Cum... I'm going to... I can't hold back”

“Don't hold back, let it all out, I want it all!”

Squeezing Nia even harder, Lily arched up and moaned loudly as a large amount of liquid came out from between her legs. After a few seconds to catch her breath, Nia lowered her body onto the pool of love juice and began to drink with passion.

“You really are a bad girl~”

Feeling Nia lick her entrance fervently sent a new wave of heat into Lily.

“Before we go any further, I'd like to try something, but I'm not sure if you'd like it”

Nia sat on the bed as she blushed shyly, her fingers covering her face as she watched Lily completely covered in sweat and love juice.

“No matter what you want, I'll do whatever my beloved wife wants”

Approaching Nia and holding her, Lily placed her on her lap as she removed her cardigan, revealing her white and slightly pink shoulders.

“It's an idea I've had for a while and I think I can finally put it into practice with the knowledge I've acquired...”

“Don't worry, tell me what you have in mind”

Lowering the straps of her black sweater just enough to reveal her bra, Lily began to unbutton Nia's underwear while slowly licking her breasts.

“W-Well... just like I made your left arm grow and generated an eye...” With each bite of Lily's hand on her small exposed nipple, Nia felt that she was getting closer and closer to an orgasm with just these slight stimulations. “I think I can produce a male genitalia based on your genetic code.”

The phrase completely stopped Lily's movement, who once again let her jaw drop before looking the girl in the eye with astonishment.

“Do you want to give me a penis!?”