The sweet, melodic singing of the sky fishes resounded quietly near the open window of the extravagant royal chamber.

Their ethereal voices drifting in on the gentle morning breeze like soft chimes carried from distant clouds.

The large bed, crafted from plush layers of soft cotton stuffing and interwoven living vines that formed a natural yet luxurious frame, held a single individual who stirred slowly beneath the light silk sheets.

His long lashes fluttered open gradually, revealing bright, oceanic blue eyes that blinked a few times to adjust to the warm sunlight filtering through the vine curtains.

[Morning, Sys,] he greeted his mental companion quietly, as he always did before even considering getting out of bed, his thoughts still hazy with the remnants of deep sleep.

{Good morning, Master. I hope your slumber was most peaceful.}

Sitting up slowly in the center of the expansive bed, Benjamin realized he was completely alone in the chamber.

He glanced around the fairly wide space, taking in the ornate walls adorned with living vines that twisted into elegant patterns.

The high ceiling draped with flowering creepers, and the soft glow of morning light that bathed everything in a gentle golden hue.

Only then did he push the sheets aside and stand up from the bed, stretching his arms overhead with a quiet yawn.

"Oh, I slept in Elara’s room yesterday..." he remembered aloud, his voice still carrying the slight rasp of sleep as he looked down at himself and noticed he was entirely without clothes.

A small, sheepish grin crossed his face. "Ehehe, it was freaky last night. Six against one. But mostly thanks to [Infinite Stamina]."

He quickly moved around the room, searching for his clothes, which he was certain he had tossed somewhere close by the night before in the heat of the moment.

His bare feet padded softly across the cool, moss-covered floor as he checked near the bed, behind the vine curtains, and along the low wooden chests that served as storage.

After a few moments of fruitless looking, he simply shrugged his shoulders with a casual sigh.

"Meh. Whatever."

Without bothering to cover himself, he stepped outside the ornate curtains made of thin, swaying vines and into the main hall of the royal chamber.

As he moved through the open space completely nude, the cool morning breeze brushed against his bare ass and the soles of his feet, sending a light shiver up his spine that felt strangely refreshing in the serene air of Verdant Spire.

He had only taken a few steps when he encountered a small group of young palace workers.

Maids and attendants dressed in simple yet neat uniforms of light green tunics and short skirts.

They were busy tending to the morning chores in the hallway.

Their hands paused mid-task as they noticed him approaching.

"Good morning!" Benjamin waved at them cheerfully, his voice bright and friendly as he continued walking toward them without a hint of self-consciousness.

But their reactions shifted in an instant.

At first, a slight blush colored their cheeks and their eyes widened with a flustered look, as if caught off guard by the unexpected sight.

Then, almost immediately, their expressions changed to something slightly disturbed, their smiles turning awkward and forced while their gazes darted away from his exposed body.

The switch was incredible and swift, happening so fast it left him blinking in confusion.

"Uh... yes, Sir Benjamin..." one of the palace workers managed to reply, her voice polite but strained.

She glanced briefly at his dangling penis before quickly looking away, her face twisting with clear discomfort and a hint of disgust that she tried, and failed, to hide.

"I hope your night was most wonderful?" another added, visibly forcing a smile onto her lips.

As her eyebrows twitched with obvious unease, her hands clutched the edge of her apron a little too tightly. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The same uncomfortable pattern repeated with the rest of the palace workers in the small group.

Each one offered respectful words and greetings to Benjamin, addressing him with the proper titles and polite tones expected in the royal palace.

Yet every single one of them seemed extremely uncomfortable with the sight of his naked self roaming freely through the royal halls.

Their eyes kept flicking away, their postures stiffened, and small winces crossed their faces whenever their gaze accidentally drifted downward.

"Uh... Y-Yeah," Benjamin replied, suddenly feeling a wave of embarrassment creeping in as he looked away from them, his cheeks heating up.

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uhm... I will go back to Elara’s room and g-get some clothe—"

"That will be exceedingly delightful, Sir Benjamin!"

One of the palace maids chirped at the idea, her voice rising with clear relief as she interrupted his flushed stammering.

"Yes, we think so too," another joined in quickly, sharing a nervous laugh with her companions. "Wandering around in your bare body can be rather foul at times. Hahaha!"

They all seemed visibly relieved that Benjamin had decided to get dressed.

Their shoulders relaxing and small, awkward laughs escaping them as the embarrassed young man turned on his heel and retreated back into the royal chamber, pulling the vine curtains closed behind him with a hasty motion.

"Gaahhhh! Sys, I was mocked!"

He began to whine dramatically the moment he was back inside, throwing himself face-down onto the soft bed with a groan, his voice muffled against the sheets.

"Those girls—Deli, Shelly, Renka—and their cohorts already knew I had the depraved habit of walking around Verdant Spire without any clothes on! Why were they making such faces at me today?!"

{Calm down, Master; possibly, they were not in the suitable mood for seeing a naked man this morning? Perhaps something prior had caused their current discomfort.}

"You think so?" Benjamin sighed heavily, rolling over onto his back and staring up at the vine-covered ceiling

Soon he finally began searching more seriously for his clothes scattered somewhere in the room.

"Thanks, Sys, but don’t pamper me too much. Actually doing exhibitionism is a crime back on Earth. I’m getting way too carried away with this habit here..."

He soon located his tunic and the rest of his garments tossed near one of the low chests.

With a resigned huff, he pulled on the light brown linen shirt, the darker sleeveless jerkin, the sturdy woolen breeches, and his dark brown leather boots, dressing himself properly this time.

Instead of leaving the palace immediately to attend to whatever duties he had lined up for the day, Benjamin’s bruised pride pushed him to go back out and locate the same group of palace workers from before.

He wanted to clear the air, maybe apologize or at least understand why they had reacted so strongly, his steps now purposeful as he stepped back into the hall with his clothes on.

"Hey, guys!"