The next day, after seeing Alex off, Sara headed straight to the Rokumeikan.
She had become quite accustomed to dressing as a man and sneaked in with a newspaper in hand.
Clara, the queen, had given Alex his name; there was something significant about her.
Fortunately, the Rokumeikan was crowded, making it easier than expected to blend in.
Leaning against a pillar, she made her way to the waiting room for Queen Clara. A window was slightly open, and voices could be heard from within.
Sara hid in the bushes, holding her breath to listen closely.
“I’m so tired of this,” said Queen Clara’s voice.
“It’s been eight years since I married the count, and he has no desire to embrace me. Today, while I’m away, he’s probably out playing with his mistress. The kingdom will inevitably fall, becoming part of the British Empire. When that happens, he’ll use my wealth and the land of Mistwild as a bargaining chip to become the Duke of Mistwild. With that, he won’t need children. In fact, having them would be a nuisance.”
“I don’t care about the count. I’m worried about you, Your Majesty,” replied a maid.
“Hmph, I’m just a half-hearted ruler who can never become a true monarch. The queen is merely a decoration.”
Clara scoffed at herself and moved closer to the window.
Sara could catch a whiff of her perfume and huddled down, drawing her knees to her chest. Fortunately, it seemed she hadn’t been noticed.
At that moment, the maid clapped her hands and spoke brightly.
“Yes, this is the East, the land of mystery. It’s a country with spirits that have existed for over a thousand years; nothing that happens here is strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“If only a child can be born, then the kingdom, the royal family, and Your Majesty will be safe. Let’s make the count nothing more than a decoration.”
The air went still. For a moment, Sara didn’t understand what was being said, but the mention of needing a child sent an uneasy feeling through her chest.
“...That’s true. Sylvia, prepare that thing,” Clara commanded.
“Certainly,” the maid replied, and her footsteps faded away.
A few minutes later, the maid returned, and the conversation continued.
“This is the secret medicine I brought from Nagasaki. I never thought we would actually use it. So, who shall it be for?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? My Alexander.”
“Yes.”
An ominous atmosphere hung in the air.
(Use it? What on earth... It can’t be poison, can it?)
I have to stop this, Sara thought, but she hadn’t been invited to the Rokumeikan that day. She needed to remain inconspicuous.
She returned to the hallway, trying to follow the maid, but was pushed back by the waves of people and lost sight of her.
The maid was a woman in her twenties, wearing a brick-colored dress.
This wasn’t uncommon at the Rokumeikan, so Sara found herself repeatedly glancing back at women who passed by to see if they were the maid.
(What should I do? But Alex should live for at least three more years. Then it might not be poison...)
As she desperately tried to organize her thoughts, Sara searched frantically for the maid.
But she was nowhere to be found... Sara ran breathlessly about the place.
Finally, she spotted the maid in the kitchen and attempted to observe her, but she had to hide again when another figure appeared.
It was Marquis Edmund.
"Are you plotting something again?"
"That's a nasty way to put it. Just stay quiet and watch. This is what holds our fate."
"I have no intention of stopping you. But you must be thorough with this. This is a place where anything could be lurking."
Sara felt her neck stiffen, but the situation with them was more important. Besides, the way the maid spoke to the marquis was quite bold for a servant.
"You’re desperate to preserve the royal family, aren’t you, grandmother?"
"It’s for your sake too, Edward. Poor child. If you stay silent, the marquisate and all its wealth will belong to you."
(Is he her grandson? they look like they're the same age...)
"It’s my mother’s wish, not mine."
"Then what do you seek?"
"Who knows? Recently, I’ve been interested in her. The wife of Nocturne."
(What!?)
Hearing that name made Sara’s heart leap in her chest. The maid then snickered.
"What an unusual taste. But keep her intrigued. It’ll work out perfectly for the queen."
As Sara peeked inside, she saw the maid gripping the marquis's chin with a mischievous smile.
"There hasn’t been a woman who could resist that face. Edward, how many years has it been since you were called a married woman’s fool? It’s embarrassing for my lineage."
"Yet you seem proud of it. You must take after your father in your lecherous ways."
"Do well with it. If you need to, push her towards divorce."
Sara felt her heart pounding as if it might drop.
(This talk of divorce? Me and Alex? What was that conversation about?)
Her legs trembled, but she felt compelled to stop them.
"I’m calling Alexander to the tea party, and I’ll use this there."
The maid pulled out a glass vial.
(I must prevent that...)
Sara hurriedly changed into a dress and wrapped the newspaper in a cloth. She walked through the Rokumeikan, searching for Alex.
(I need to let him know not to eat anything today.)
Her pace quickened naturally, and a gentleman passing by turned to look at her.
Oh no, they'll think I’m agitated, Sara thought, slowing down to catch her breath.
She walked past women enjoying afternoon tea, who, despite their elegant dresses, were also sweating.
They were human too; there was no need to belittle herself.
Straightening her back, she walked through the garden and spotted Queen Clara, the earlier maid, an English nobleman, and Alex.
“Alex, I came to bring you—”
Just as she was about to call out to get his attention, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
“!”
“Shh, Madam. Please do not disturb the Queen.”
It was Marquis Edmund. Sara found herself awkwardly pressed against his chest and quickly stepped back.
“My apologies. I must not be disrespectful to Your Highness.”
“But it’s urgent. I just came to deliver something he left behind…”
“Then I’ll deliver it on your behalf.”
Sara pulled her hand away from Marquis Edmund.
“It’s something important.”
“...I see, a brave lady.”
Marquis Edmund straightened up and tapped the end of his cane on the ground.
He was tall and well-proportioned, appearing quite gentlemanly, with his handsome face standing out even more.
His blue eyes, shining behind his glasses, were beautiful yet held a certain darkness.
“But Madam, if you go now, your husband will be embarrassed. What would happen if it were revealed that he left something behind in front of nobles and the Queen? The Rokumeikan carries Japan's prestige, does it not?”
Sara gasped.
“True, but…”
“It’s just a little longer, bear with it.”
Marquis Edmund leaned closer to Sara and whispered in her ear.
“It’s for him. Alexander Nocturne. Isn’t it a fine name?”
A chill ran down her spine.
(He knows something.)
Her intuition told her something was “off.” As Marquis Edmund pulled back, Sara continued to look into his eyes.
“Who are you…”
“Maybe it's the same as you, Madam. A being trapped in desire.”
“Surely not…”
—Does he know about me?
At that moment, a loud clatter of dishes made Sara turn around.
“Alex…!”
Alex, sitting at the table, clutched his chest and was breathing heavily.
The maid rushed over to soothe his back, and the English nobleman stood up.
Queen Clara sat serenely, elegantly fanning herself.
As the maid helped Alex move elsewhere, Sara glanced back at Marquis Edmund. Seeing that he didn’t intervene, she ran away.
It was certainly this reception room where the maid had taken him, but he was nowhere to be found. Sara searched around, pacing the hallway back and forth.
"He's not here?"
She heard Clara's sharp voice and quickly hid behind a pillar.
"I’m sorry. I took him to the reception room, but I can't find him."
“He's gone somewhere! Hurry and search for him!”
Clara's voice was hysterical, making Sara's ears ring. The maid ran down the hallway, and Sara glanced back at Clara, who was anxiously pacing the floor, tapping her foot in irritation.
She didn’t look very much like a lady. Despite that, Sara couldn’t help but worry about Alex.
(He seemed to be in poor health... Was it really poison? While I was distracted by Edmund...)
It was something she would regret endlessly. Just then, she felt a hand grab her shoulder from behind.
“Eek...”
She nearly screamed as a hand covered her mouth and pulled her into a room.
It was the costume room. The heavy lock clicked shut behind her, and fear began to wash over Sara—as it should have.
"Sarah... Why are you here?"
The voice from behind her was Alex’s. The familiar scent and tone enveloped her. But wasn't his body unusually hot?
"Ah, Alex...?"
She hugged me tightly, and her breasts swelled out of her dress, revealing her cleavage.
As it is, he collapses on the tatami mat from his back, and before he knows it, Alex is looking at him from above.
"Um, are you okay?"
"What?"
"Didn't you feel sick?"
Alex buries his face in Sara's shoulder, who is worried, and runs his fingers through her hair to unfasten her hair.
"Oh, no......"
"Why?"
Alex sniffs Sara and slides her dress over her shoulders. Isn't this a suspicious trend?
Sara squirms and tries to move her legs away from Alek, but she can't hold him down from above.
"Wait...... Not here."
Hair unravels and flows fluffily down the chest and back. A sweet scent spread through her as Alex followed her hair and buried his nose in her cleavage as he was drawn to her.
"Hey, Alex."
"I'm sorry, but I can't wait...... If you really don't like it, bite me."
"Huh!?"
As Sara was pulled upright, a hand reached behind her, untying the ribbon at her waist. The loosened fabric at her chest slipped, causing her ample breasts to nearly spill out.
Startled, she clutched her chest, only for Alex's hands to gently caress her cheeks and ears.
"Ah…!"
Sara, unusually sensitive around her ears, let out an involuntary sound. Flushing deeply, she looked up at Alex. His face was entirely red, his eyes glazed as if intoxicated, and he was breathing heavily through his mouth.
He looked like a beast overcome with desire.
Sara's heart pounded like a drum, her body suddenly flushed with heat. But this wasn’t the place for such behavior. She hugged her knees to her chest, looking up at Alex, feeling like a defenseless fawn caught in his sights.
"Alex, not here," she whispered.
"But I can’t hold back any longer," he said hoarsely.
(Nagasaki, a child, the count, a secret elixir…)
Those words spun chaotically in her mind. Nagasaki… a pleasure district? No, there are pleasure districts everywhere. That’s too hasty a conclusion… yet it somehow made sense.
A queen seeking an heir, using an Eastern secret medicine, and Alex, who had captured her heart.
In short, an aphrodisiac. Knowledge of essential oils and their uses has existed for centuries. A concoction like that could easily be made.
(What… what a terrible thing. Is that why Marquis Edmund was stalling for time?)
"Sarah…"
Alex's voice, lowered to a sweetly enticing tone, was enough to ignite a fire in her lower abdomen. But now was not the time.
No matter how much her chest and most intimate parts ached, she couldn’t allow it.
"Not here. No, absolutely not!" she declared firmly, just before Alex's hand could reach her chest.
Perhaps giving in to her words, Alex let out a resigned sigh. Then, with a surprising ease, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the costume room.
(Did he listen?)
Sara thought, momentarily relieved.
But the place Alex headed for was his carriage.
The parking lot was dimly lit and empty. I don't think anyone will see this...... Sara felt uneasy, but had no choice but to follow Alex's actions.
Sara was pushed inside, and as the door closed, Alex loosened his shirt and let his chest rise and fall violently.
"What is this, ......?"
"Water"
"No, it's good, I want you more."
Alex pulls Sara in and kisses her as if asking for saliva.
"Hmm...... Hmmm."
The tongue is entangled so much that it becomes tangled, and it sucks the saliva in the mouth.
Sara also immediately gasped for breath.
Alex looked into Sara's eyes and exhaled painfully to take the ribbon from Sara's waist.
"Tie my wrists with this."
"What?"
"I'm so lustful, I'm going to you if I continue like this. I don't want that."
"…… But."
"Sarah, do you want to be messed up?"
A ferocious light dwelt in Alex's eyes, and as expected, Sara became terrified.
Do as you are told, tie his wrists together and tie them with ribbons.
"Whew."
Alex asked. Because I straddled him, my thighs touched his things.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't care, just leave it as it is...... We'll just have to wait until it ...... subside."
He says, his face reddening, his brows furrowed tightly, and his breath hoarse.
Sara seemed to be in so much pain that she couldn't leave her alone.
Even through his pants, his penis is already clearly erect and stained.
"Sarah, get out of here quickly...... Sarah?"
Really...... Sara stroked it. Suddenly, Alec jumps his body as if he has touched the fire.
"Sarah!"
"Because it looks painful......"
He loosens the pants that wrap around Alex's waist and grabs his penis, which is already taut and wet the entire rod.
Sara watched as his breathing became very disturbed and his throat rose and fallen.
Sara pulls her hair over her ears and wraps it around her lips, caressing the tips that are colored like ripe apricots.
(Hot ......)
It seems to have been heated by fire. A fleshy sword that always pierces Sara and attacks the back as if to brand it.
It pulsates rapidly, and I can feel how excited he is.
Sara herself pulled her thighs hot with excitement and bent down to suck on his penis.
"Sarah......!"
Alex took a deep breath, and at the same time, the tip swelled, and before he could stop, he wheessed!
And something hot was thrown into the back of my throat. It's sticky and mushy and flows down her throat, and Sara salivates and swallows it down.
As I purred and swallowed, I noticed that my penis was trembling slightly.
My head was getting hot, and it was getting harder to think calmly.
Alex blushed even more, breathing on his shoulder as he said, "Sarah, it's enough," but his voice was heated and made Sara hot again.
I'm still unsatisfied.
The penis is erect and twitching, waiting to be caressed.
"Are you still there?"
As she listens to this, she grips the base firmly, rubs it, and shifts her hand to the top--as if invited by the movement, pure white semen like mayonnaise flows
out from the tip, staining Sara's hand white.
Alex bit his lip and endured, but when he was squeezed out, he finally released his mouth.
"…… It's a dream."
"Dreams...... Is it?"
"Oh, it's too sweet. It's ...... to the point of going crazy."
"Happy dreams?"
"…… Yeah"
Sara flushed her face. It feels like a flower has bloomed in my chest.
As it is, she pulls her face closer to Alec and kisses him as he can't move.
"Sarah"
"If it's a dream, enjoy it."
Alex gasped again, his pupils widened as he stared at Sara.
His eyes turned red as if he were begging, and when Sara pressed his lips together again, Alex opened his mouth to greet her.
The dress has already fallen to the waist and her breasts are spilling out.
Sara's body, which was developed and knew the pleasure of a woman, greedily sought Alex.
Her nipples, which look like cherries just waiting to be harvested, stand up to be touched, and when they rub against Alex's half-opened shirt, sweet pleasure is carried to her secret parts.
Each time, her body jumps and she seems to dance a lewd dance on top of Alex.
Alex deftly spread his arms and pulled Sara's head into a circle.
The upper body overlaps, and it sucks moistly with sweat.
Their lips touch and they lick each other with their tongues.
It's the first time I've had such nasty sex.
Alex is always kind and guides Sara, but he has never lost his temper.
(He's excited about me...)
Perhaps it was because of the aphrodisiac, but he stared at Sara and clearly showed his lust, whispering in a hoarse voice, "I've always wanted to do this with you."
"This way...... How?"
"I wanted to ask each other to devour, to give each other pleasure...... But you're unfamiliar with it, and I don't think you'll like it."
Alex rubs his penis against Sara's inner thighs and wets it with Cowper.
Sara is already making her secret parts hot, making a messy noise inside her dress.
How hard would it be if I took off my dress?
"Alex…… Don't you think it's nasty?"
"If so, am I the cause of it?"
"…… That's right."
"Then it's an honor, because I'm the one giving you pleasure."
Alex pulled Sara closer, and Sara followed suit, hugging him on his shoulder.
His penis swells hot, rubbing hard against Sara's thighs.
Mixing Cowper and Sara's lewd nectar, the carriage creaks every time Alex's hips jerk hard.
Her bright red puffy was rubbed, and Sara let out an "ah...ah!"
"Oh, I'm going to come out again...... It's strange, since I drank that tea...... I wish I could taste you more......"
"Don't worry, just put it out......! "
"I'm sorry...... Whew!!"
The moment Alex's hips were squeezed, something hot was released at once, wetting Sara's inner thighs.
"…… Ahh"
Alex moans in his ear. My ears were hot, and my hips swayed with each breath he breathed.
"Hmm...... Hey, Alex......!"
Indecent nectar overflowed from the depths of Sara.
She didn't, but she was surprisingly excited and seemed to cry sadly in the back.
"Already...... It will be fine...... Untie your wrists."
"…… Yes......"
Sara did as she was told. Alex shakes his wrist to catch his breath.
Perhaps because he ejaculated twice, he seems to have a lot of leeway.
Sara felt relieved, as if she had been left behind.
I am still in heat, and the pleasure is slowly wandering in search of a continuation.
I feel the proof of his passion flowing in my inner thighs, and I slide my legs together without knowing it. Then the dress finally fell off the seat and remained only at the ankle.
"Oh......."
As Sara bent down to pull her dress closer, Alex's hand pressed against her shoulder.
When Sara turned my face up, a kiss fell on me that I didn't know how many times.
Her lips were sucked to the point of swelling, and when she pulled away, a strange voice came out of Sara's mouth.
"I don't think You've calmed down yet......"
"When I see Your like that, I can't control it anymore...... Sarah, I want more of you......"
Her body slips off the seat and she lies on the floor with her dress underneath.
Alex opens Sara's legs and sinks his penis, which is wet with desire, into his honey mouth.
"Ah!"
Like water overflowing from a cup, the love juice flowed out with the last push and accepted him.
The inside of her body rippled with delight, pushing her all the way to the roots, and her back touching each other tightly—at that moment, Sara's whole body trembled.
"！"
The honey mouth tightens tightly, and Alex makes a grimace. But when it subsided, he grabbed Sara's hips and began to shake her.
"Well, wait...... I'm ...... cumming now!"
"I can't wait...... I want to fill you with more ......!"
The penis is moved in and out with a violent noise.
Alex breathed like a beast and licked Sara's breasts devouring her nipples.
Her nipples, which have become completely sensitive due to his daily caress, lead Sara to pleasure in no time.
Hot nectar overflows again.
"Ahh...... I'm cumming......!"
"Me too...... I'm leaving...... I'm leaving......!"
The moment I closed my eyes, my whole body was suddenly released and I trembled with pleasure.
The penis is pulled out sly, and hot and sticky semen pops out and clings to Sara's body.
"Oh......!"
Semen flows through the udder.
Involuntarily following it with her hand, Sara saw a bridge of white liquid on her fingers and fingers.
Her entire body felt as though it was burning in feverish heat.
The carriage was filled with their combined warmth and heavy breaths, carrying a faintly sour scent in the air. Unlike their usual tender exchanges, this had been an urgent, passionate act of sex, yet it felt as though the barriers of restraint that had existed between them were gone.
Alex had kept his promise not to finish inside her, maintaining just enough control to restrain himself. Sara was grateful for his restraint, and the thought crossed her mind—when everything was finally over, perhaps then...
(When the time comes...? But he belongs to the past. If a child were to be born, it would be a disaster...)
The realization cast a shadow over her heart once again.
Resting her head on his chest, now rising and falling gently, she closed her eyes against the comforting warmth of his hand stroking her shoulder.
(Just for now. Let me love him, just for now...)
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
When she nestled her cheek against him, seeking comfort, Alex stroked her hair gently.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"Huh?"
"For forcing you... No, that's not it. For giving in to my desires."
Sara lifted her head to look at him. His deep blue eyes had regained their usual calm, and she let out a relieved sigh.
"Did you consume something strange? You mentioned the tea..."
"It was unusually sour. But that's not the issue. Regardless... this was my true self. I’m sorry, Sarah. I'm not as noble as you might think."
Was he confessing that he normally held himself back?
Sara remained silent, her gaze fixed on him, uncertain. Alex reached out to cup her cheek and pinched it lightly.
"Are you disgusted?"
"Not at all... Are you saying that you always... suppress yourself?"
"..."
This time, Alex met her eyes directly, his silence betraying him.
"Is that really true?"
"No! Even if it is, the way I held you just now... Look, Sarah, I mean—"
For once, Alex seemed flustered. He sat upright and gripped her shoulders.
"It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with you. Like I said earlier... I had hoped to cherish and connect with you more gently. I never wanted to hurt you, and I thought that, over time, we might naturally come to seek each other."
"..."
Sara's chest tightened, her heart beating faster as warmth flushed through her.
Her body had become insatiably aware of him.
Unsure of what to say, she embraced Alex, closing her eyes.
"I... I’m so inexperienced with these things..."
Modern women had countless sources of information—manga, games, magazines, the internet. It was endless. Compared to them, Sara felt like an outlier. But women from the Meiji era seemed far more uninhibited. Perhaps, they even had greater knowledge than women of today.
Sara had never been popular. She’d thought of these matters as unrelated to her life and avoided delving too deeply, even when curiosity arose.
Since arriving in this time, however, she’d quietly bought and read books on the subject.
"Still... it made me happy to be wanted. Being held by you feels so... comforting. I... I—"
She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
Those three simple words, "I love you," felt impossible to say.
(If I say them, I’ll want to stay in this world. But if I stay, then what happens to Moriya Sara...)
In the past, her own existence hadn’t seemed like such a critical matter.
But now?
She’d grown to value herself, to like herself, even.
Through Sara, through Alex, through this world, she’d begun to confront her own identity.
(I can’t say it. I can’t be that selfish. It would only hurt him, too.)
"Sarah?"
"We’re husband and wife, after all. I just... hope we can trust each other more deeply someday."
"...Yes, that’s true. Come here."
Alex pulled her close, enveloping her with his overwhelming warmth, both body and soul.
(Sarah... Please, just for now, forgive me. Let me stay here, just a little longer.)
Gently, she drew his arms even tighter around her.
Next →【鏡中夢幻ーEphemeral Fantasies Within the Mirror】Episode11
