Side Story - Side Healer
My name is Kyunei.
During the day, I work as a doctor in the back alleys of the royal capital Blesstia, and at night, I engage in the profession of a pr**titute.
Despite the nature of back alley work, my reputation as a doctor remains good, and as a pr**titute, I belong to the highest echelons in this royal capital.
In this royal capital, there are several types of women who engage in the profession of a courtesan – those who come from impoverished families struggling to make ends meet, those who have been sold into it as a means to pay off debts, and those who, with no other means of income, have resorted to selling their bodies.
I don't fit into any of those categories.
In truth, I could sustain my daily life solely with the earnings from my work as a doctor. Fortunately, in addition to medical skills, I also possess restorative magic. As long as I don't indulge excessively, I can live comfortably with some room to spare.
But I have a reason to become a pr**titute.
It's my biggest secret.
Normally, I would avoid leaving the back alleys except when I go out to buy ingredients for medicine or food. And it's been a long time since I went out in broad daylight like this.
But now, I'm walking side by side with a certain young man, our arms linked.
His name is Yukina. He's a young man I recently met.
Although he's still in the process of becoming an adult, he hasn't completely shed his childishness. However, the feeling of his arm linked with mine is much stronger and more solid than his appearance suggests, conveying a sense of strength. It's a secret, but I can't help but feel a little fluttered by this contrast.
How many men have I shared a bed with until now? It's a strange thing for a woman like me to have her heart race like a young girl.
On the day I met Yukina-kun, I had just left the room of the inn I had rented after parting ways with a client.
When I asked the receptionist at the brothel where I had been staying to clean up the room, I saw Yukina-kun there. It seems that I caught his eye while he was talking to the receptionist, and it was what they call "love at first sight."
──Big sister, please be my first!
The words he shouted back then still make me laugh even when I remember them.
But it had been a while since someone had spoken to me so directly and sincerely.
It wasn't the first time that a young man like him, who had just come from the countryside, invited me. But when they heard the price they had to pay to "buy" me, everyone would hang their heads and give up. It's a pity, but in this line of work, lowering the price would mean lowering one's own value.
But he was different.
He would never give up on "me" and is now desperately trying to earn the money. And not only that, he has become a dangerous mercenary.
As a doctor, I have treated injured mercenaries before. Some of them have suffered injuries so severe that even healing magic couldn't fully cure them, forcing them into retirement.
And there were also those who lost their lives despite my best efforts.
"...What's wrong, Kyunei-san? Are you feeling unwell, perhaps?"
Yukina-kun asked with concern. It seemed like my emotions were showing on my face.
"No, it's nothing,"
I replied, shaking my head inwardly, telling myself that it was futile to worry.
Yukina-kun mentioned that he hadn't dealt with such dangerous opponents before. In fact, he had visited my clinic a few times since starting his mercenary work, but he never seemed to have suffered any major injuries. At most, he had minor cuts. It was probably nothing to worry about.
I had dealt with many men before. So, I should have some ability to judge character.
Yukina-kun was undoubtedly an eccentric, but he wasn't reckless. He was someone who could properly weigh the risks and rewards. He pursued the mercenary profession with the purpose of "buying" me, fully aware of his own capabilities. Unless something extraordinary happened, he shouldn't engage in reckless actions.
Anyway, it's disrespectful to Yukina-kun, who invited me on this special date, if I keep thinking about gloomy things.
Might as well enjoy ourselves.
With that thought in mind, I tightened my grip on Yukina-kun's arm a little.
Oh, his face turned bright red.
──Contrary to my expectations, our date didn't have any extravagant surprises.
I had thought that Yukina-kun, being himself, would have prepared something to astonish me, but surprisingly, there was nothing like that. We simply enjoyed teasing the street vendors, eating food from the stalls, and aimlessly wandering around the city.
But if someone asked me if I had a good time, I would say yes.
In fact, that sense of "ordinary" atmosphere was quite pleasant.
It's funny how I'm enjoying this date as if I were a young girl experiencing it for the first time, even though my body has already been embraced by men multiple times.
This is also thanks to Yukina-kun.
"...Why do you smirk while looking at people's faces?"
Yukina-kun made a troubled face. I feel bad for him, but for some reason, that face looks strangely cute to me, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
But the more enjoyable the present is, the more I can't help but think.
When Yukina-kun discovers the 'real me,' I wonder how he will react.
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