The World's Strongest Faker

At the Hospital

“...Nn…”

Emerging through a bright haze, Christine gradually woke up, and what filled her vision as she opened her eyes was a somehow low ceiling and—she found an odd-looking man in a black suit sitting beside her bed.

“Are you awake? Your Highness?” 

“Eric?... Where am I?”

“Your room, your highness. We found you getting carried by a man named Ernest and he brought you to the hospital. Your Highness, Her Majesty is worried about you.” 

“Ernest?” 

That name, she remembered. It was the man she’s been following after the double-dungeon incident mainly from possible awakening. Memories were brought back to her mind as she started recalling everything. 

The moment she saw Ernest’s post who’s looking for a party member, she took the opportunity to investigate him and join. Disguised as a Healer Class she joined him and watched him battle with the monsters inside and the dungeon boss. After witnessing his strength and defeating the boss, she challenged him to a match wherein the winner basically takes all.

“Where is he?” 

“Pardon?” 

“Ernest? The man who brought me here? Where is he?” 

“He’s also hospitalized due to extreme fatigue, your highness. Why? Do you have any business with him?”

“Is that so? Then I’m glad.” 

Looking at herself, she realized something. That realization, her feelings turned gloomy. It seemed that taking him in her guild is no longer possible. She’d been beaten and beaten so completely she could make no excuse for her loss.

“Your highness? What happened inside that dungeon? It’s a B-Class dungeon and you can handle it by yourself but why do the two of you look beaten? Adventurer Association reports no double dungeon occurred in the Flooded Downstream Ruins.” 

“Ah...eh…” 

This is bad. His question is reasonable. There’s no way she can tell that Ernest is an awakened adventurer and challenges him to a duel that results in her defeat. 

“Something unexpected happened, but don’t worry. Tell mother and sister that I’m okay. I can’t have them worrying about me.” Christine said as she got up to her bed, “I feel fine now. You can now leave, Eric.” 

“But I was tasked to watch over you by the command of Her Majesty. Please understand my position…”

“Eric, I’m not going to repeat myself again.”

“But your highness?...” 

“Ah, I hate this! I’m planning to visit someone and I can’t have you following me.” 

“Wha what?” Eric was shocked, “Who? With all due respect, your highness, the doctor said that you need three days' rest. You can’t leave your room. If it’s a business matter then you can send me on your behalf.”

“No, this is a personal matter. I will visit him alone.” Christine said as she retreated to her bed, giving up on the idea of getting out of the room.

She understands her position. If the doctor said she needed to take three days rest then she’ll obey it. It’s for the sake of her good health though and it’s not like the doctor, despite her status, will let her go. The doctor probably had her family on his back.

“Him?” Eric brows furrowed, “Who is he, your highness?” 

“Ernest Teucher...the man who sent me here.” 

…

Three days later. As Christine patiently waited for her to get discharged. The doctor who was taking care of her declared that she is now discharged.

Then, she asked for the room number of a certain person she wishes to see. 

“Ernest Teucher? Isn’t that your teammate who sent you here? It’s true that he’s also hospitalized here but let me ask the reception.” The doctor said, picking up his phone.

It’s been three days. Obviously, Christine got wrecked from their fight and suffered less injury so probably he was discharged before her. But she hoped and prayed to the gods. ‘Please, tell me he’s here.’ 

“Okay thank you.” The doctor hung up the phone and looked at Christine, “Your highness, Ernest was in room 402. Do you wish to visit him?” 

“Yes. I want to thank him for saving my life back there.” 

“Your highness, I will come with you.” Eric butted in.

“No, you will stay at the door.” Christine ordered, “As I said to you, this is a personal matter.”

Eric sighed, “Understood.” 

“Long live the Kingdom!” The doctor saluted.

…

Christine, now somewhat abandoned, looked at the bed and studied the boy who defeated her.

‘I’m certainly...not weak.’

She wasn’t brash enough to think she was one of the strongest in the world, but this was the first time she’d lost to a person who was the lowest-ranked. Ernest was strong, probably due to his awakening, she was still uncertain. The Red Dragons tested his magic power but resulted negative in awakening. She was now curious about the source of his strength. 

Not to mention, he literally copied her Noble Art, her strongest trump card. 

Christine approached the bed and curiously looked at Ernest.

According to the doctors, Ernest suffered from serious fatigue that caused him to be hospitalized for three days. In addition, the doctor also said that he’ll probably wake up on this day.

“...Ernest...Teucher.”

As she spoke that name, a mysterious sweetness made her heart lightly throb. For Christine, this was the first time she wanted to know about someone else so much, personally. She couldn’t restrain the desire to learn more about the sleeping boy, and the delay from his recovery was unbearable. That was why, after being held by curiosity bubbling inside of her, she climbed the bunk bed’s ladder.

‘This is just for investigation purposes whether you awakened or not, don’t mind me.

Ernest was still sleeping. He might’ve changed sides while asleep, but now he was lying on his stomach, and she could no longer see his face. She could hear light breathing that matched the gentle movements of his well-built back, so he must have improved quite a bit since a while ago. The doctor said that there’s a possibility that he might not be able to wake up again, but after seeing this, that feeling was no longer there. Christine felt a little relieved at that.

“...Ernest.”

She called out his name, but as if defying her, he didn’t rouse from his deep slumber. It couldn’t be helped. He was sleeping so soundly, so it would be rude to wake him up by force. Since her anxiety hadn’t subsided yet, Christine decided she would take a stroll outside and come back later.

Yes, as Christine was thinking that—she accidentally peeked into the gap between the shirt and the nape of Ernest’s neck. He had a wide back, and the sight had a profound impact that she couldn’t imagine from his sheepish smile.

No, his body wasn’t that muscular. If anything, it could be considered thin, but the steely strength there made his back seem far more substantial than it actually was.

‘Just a little, it’s okay, right? He’s facing the other way too, it’s okay!’

After conferring with some invincible person in her heart, Christine extended her hands towards Ernest’s back, and she slowly started to touch.

W - Wow…”

Thump-thump.

When Christine touched him with the palms of her hands, the sensation of Ernest’s blood flowing started to enter her. It was strong and hot enough to burn, but his body felt quite different from steel as if she was feeling the heat of his vitality.

So this is a boy’s... back?

It was her first time touching a boy, and Christine felt like she was dreaming.

“N...mn…”

“Wha...Eek!”

Ernest suddenly turned over, and now he was facing up. Because of that, Christine’s right hand got rolled in and pinned under his sleeping body.

Oh no!

If Ernest woke up now, Christine couldn’t give any excuse. His body was unexpectedly heavy, so she couldn’t pull her hand out and escape. She could yank it, but that might disturb him, and falling off the bed because she pulled too hard would also be disastrous.

...What choice do I have?

Christine held her breath and climbed further up his body. Standing on her knees while taking care not to touch him, she used her left hand to raise Ernest’s side and slowly...slowly...very slowly.

“Uun...n!... Kuh.”

Th-that was close!

Ernest felt a cold sweat forming on her back. She somehow managed to lift up that side with her free hand and… one way or another succeeded in pulling out her trapped hand one. Success! But even so, Christine kept on looking at the sleeping Ernest below her.

“This guy didn’t wake up at all.”

Well, since he was exhausted, she could understand why he was sleeping so deeply. Ernest still not stirring, Christine gulped. Now that he flipped over, she was looking at his slightly exposed abdomen.

A boy’s belly…

Even though she might’ve seen a few before, she had never touched one. What kind of feeling would that bring?

“W-What are you thinking, Christine!? That’s no good! For me who’s still unmarried, and a princess no less, to take interest in the body of a boy who isn’t even my lo-lo-lover or anything...that’s disgraceful!”

Wait, it wasn't that bad, was it? Not like she was really holding perverted

thoughts or anything. Ernest Teucher, the first opponent who managed to

defeat her―she wanted to learn more about a knight she'd have to face in the future, out of pure curiosity.

That was all. Maybe. More or less.

“In-In any case, my dress would've been destroyed in our fight right? Maybe she saw me naked first...Let's say it that way. So this makes us ever...right?”

It was sophistry, but Christine seemed to have justified herself that way. Led by her curiosity towards the man she first lost to, she once again extended her hands towards Ernest’s abdomen and put one through the crevice of his shirt. She slowly reached as low as his solar plexus and…gently pulled his shirt up.

“...This is...a boy’s...body…”

When Ernest suddenly stripped that time they met, she didn't really see because of her confusion, but now that she had crawled so close, she could tell his body was unusually toned. The slight shadows of muscles across his body looked completely different from her own as a woman. Of course, feeling them should be different too.

"Haa… haa…."

Christine’s brain started to boil at that intense urge to touch. Her head felt

feverishly dizzy, and her breathing became heavy and irregular. She could no longer stop herself.

“...Okay.”

With a trembling hand, she reached towards Ernest’s abdomen, and she touched him, an electric sensation spread through her from the texture of Ernest’s skin and muscles. It was strong while having a subtle flexibility, a sensation she had never felt before, but she easily understood the enormous energy it held.

“Amazing…”

It was not the body of a knight who was stumbling lost in the dark, but one who was striving towards his goals. Christine had always told herself to be a respected adventurer before being a woman. She knew how hard it was to hone the body this far, and how hard to maintain such honing.

“...Just who are you…”

Christine’s desire to learn more about Ernest grew even stronger. The more she knew, the more she wanted to know. This desire started to overheat, enough to suffocate her. She was becoming entranced, lost in a fever without cause or a reason, yet it was pleasant, which surprised her even more.

“Haa...what am I doing? I wonder…”

While tracing his abdomen with delicate fingers, she asked that question to some invincible person in her heart, sounding like she was struggling against delirium. But then—

“Uhm, that’s something I want to ask too. Christine, what are you doing?”