Atelier Tanaka – Volume 5 Chapter 5 Part 3

Hangover


The next day I woke up with a terrible headache and a severely parched mouth.

When I opened my eyes, the blinding light caused my head to spin and I had difficulties getting up. My body felt so exhausted that I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to without the dizziness. I was taking quick, shallow breaths as if I had been stranded in the desert for days. I desperately need some water.

There’s no mistaking this feeling. I’m hungover.

This is the first time I’ve experienced this in a long while.

“….”

I used my recovery magic to quickly relieve me of these symptoms.

My god tier heal capable of curing any injury or ailment, also an excellent cure for hangovers. The great discomfort and agonizing pain in my head was gone in an instant.

“…haa~”

Recovery magic is the best.

If I didn’t have it, I’d probably be restricted to my bed for most of the day. I wouldn’t be in any condition to ride on a carriage for most of the day. When I thought about how much I’d have to suffer through the day, I was incredibly thankful for my healing.

Now that my body had recovered, I lifted my body off the bed causing the sheets to slide down.

That’s when I suddenly noticed something.

“….”

A woman is sleeping next to me.

More importantly, she is naked.

Her beautiful long blonde hair brilliantly reflected the sunlight filtering in through the windows. She was cradling the comforter between her chest and arms but I was still able to see the sizeable fruit she was hiding.

Big. Very big. Vulgarly big.

She looked to be in her mid-twenties. Her face was top-class and could’ve even put the top stars of Hollywood to shame. Her features were also distinctly western. A strange desire came over me to smoke a cigarette as I waited for her to wake up.

“….”

The biggest question on my mind is why is she naked?

Someone walking in on this scene would have only one thought in mind, and that makes me think I’ve hit a home run. However, the most important parts involved in a scene like this are lost to me. I don’t remember anything after I started drinking in the shop last night

What should I do?

How am I supposed to feel about this?

Should I wake her up?

“….”

No, I’m certain that if I wake her up, it will lead to a terrible misunderstanding for me. She’ll either accuse me of something or, best case scenario, she’ll charge me. I’ll be paying for something I can’t remember the feeling of and also have no memories of for future use.

Should I just leave before she wakes up? I feel like I’d be doing her a favour. I’m ugly enough as it is, but when I’ve just woken up, I’m at least 50% more ugly.

I shouldn’t have wasted so much time thinking about this.

“Aisha? Are you up yet? It’s time for breakfast….”

“A…!?”

I heard a knock on the door followed by a man’s voice.

I didn’t recognize his voice either.

“Aisha? Are you still sleeping? I’m coming in, okay?”

“….”

The door was opened before I could react.

A middle-aged man around the same age as me entered. He was on the heavier side, but the extra weight actually suited him. He couldn’t be called handsome but he wasn’t unattractive either. He looked like a kind older man that you could go to for advice.

However, this calming atmosphere only lasted for a moment.

Within only a few seconds of entering, the aura surrounding him had changed and a look of astonishment covered his face.

“Wha….”

“….”

I believe this is game over.

There’s no way out of this.

I decided it would be best to be up front with the man.

“Ah, how rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Tanaka and you are?”

“Eh? W-What? Why the hell are you in my wife’s room…?”

“Ah, right, about that. You’ve got a lovely home and I thank you for providing me with accommodations for the night.”

“….”

To make this worse, she’s married.

What am I going to do?

This changes everything.

“…nn~, what’s going on? Is it morning already?”

The commotion in the room was enough to wake up my lovely bedmate. She lifted herself from the mattress and turned to face us. Naturally the fruits she had been hiding until now were exposed for all to see.

“….”

“….”

A strong desire was born in my heart at that moment. One that couldn’t be satisfied by simply sucking or rubbing.

Even though she’s married.

She’s married to another man.

They may even have a child.

“Aisha!”

“Dear….”

“What is the meaning of this!?”

“Eh? Ah, it-it’s not what you think! He forced himself on me!”

“He did what!?”

The married woman seemed to be caught off guard and looking for what to say before finally blurting out the final words.

Is she serious?

Did I really do that?

I raped a married woman after getting drunk and ruined my first experience that I had protected for so many years. I feel like I can’t even go on living.

“I-Is this true!? U-Umm, you called yourself Tanaka-san, correct!?”

“…that’s right, but I honestly don’t remember anything.”

“What!? You force yourself onto another man’s wife and your excuse is you don’t remember!? Do you expect anyone to believe such a ridiculous story!?”

“I’m sorry. All I can do is apologize.”

“Y-You think an apology will do anything for this situation!?”

This isn’t good. My heart is pounding.

This is what it feels like to be caught cheating.

I wonder if this is how Allen felt when he entered that dining room with his arm wrapped around Ester-chan’s mom’s waist.. Even so, he still attended the dinner with her entire family there. And he did a good job of protecting the maids when Ester-chan shot her fireball.

“I will pay for whatever compensation you think appropriate.”

The payment for someone cheating can be quite expensive.

It depends on the perpetrator’s income, but in modern Japan, the cost could be in the millions. A friend of mine from junior high told me he cheated with a married woman in his mid-twenties and he’s still paying tens of thousands to her husband every month.

I never thought I’d be in the same position.

As a lifelong virgin, I thought being transported to another world would be more likely.

“Please, whatever you want.”

“….”

“Tell me what it is and I’ll do it.”

The older man looked down on me with a challenging gaze.

The only thing I could think to do was to obediently lower my head.

“I’d like to check one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Were you involved in a fight in the town last night?”

I do remember that.

I got in an altercation with a macho adventurer last night that ended without any real violence. I remember that clearly. The only thing that really happened was that young ikemen got a broken nose.

“I’m not sure if I’d call it a fight, but I was involved in a small altercation last night. If you know about it, were you also there?”

“We are in need of someone possessing that level of skill.”

“….”

“My wife and I are in a difficult position currently.”

“…what does that mean?”

The anger covering the man’s face slowly faded and he became more serious as he continued.

“If you can help us with this matter, I’ll forget whatever happened between you and my wife. Yes, we are married, but I can look at this as a failure on my part as well. I wasn’t doing enough to satisfy my wife.”

“….”

“However, I’m still a merchant with a reputation to protect. I have a mind for business and if I’m going to become a cuckold I may as well profit in other ways. I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if I did. Therefore, I ask that you do a favour for me.”

Her husband is stronger than I imagined.

Maybe that’s why he was able to get such a young and beautiful wife.

But this compromise removes some of the guilt I feel.

“…I’ll do it.”

I don’t have any other choice but to accept.

After I agreed, the husband began explaining their situation to me.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

This lifelong virgin just lost his virginity.

And the only thing I could feel was an indescribable emptiness in my heart.

***


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