Bethany wove through the bustling city streets, her movements slightly awkward as she navigated the crowd. An uncomfortable gnawing in her stomach reminded her just how hungry she was, while the weight of her breasts felt both burdensome and distracting. The hot sun bore down on her, making her feel flushed, and her leather pants clung uncomfortably, riding up her backside with every step. The snug leather corset she wore hugged her torso tightly, accentuating her curves but also constricting her movements. Each breath felt deliberate; her green blouse stretched across her frame, leaving little room for comfort.

  As she continued on, she tried to push aside the discomfort, yet something about the way her body felt was unsettling. Underneath the yers of fabric, she could feel the gentle bounce of her breasts, too noticeable to ignore, along with the unmistakable sensation of eagerness coming from her womanhood. It was unlike her to feel this way, and she was perplexed about why she was feeling this way. It made her feel like something was off about her.

  'What the hell is wrong with me?' Bethany thought, as her boobs were bouncing around inside her blouse and her nipples were poking through her top.

  "Fucking priestesses! Did they use different sacred waters or something? It has to be... I've never felt this way before," Bethany muttered under her breath, frustration bubbling up within her. The very thought of the Sacred Fertility Waters doing something strange to her made her feel disoriented. A wave of anxiety washed over her as she tried to shake off the unsettling feelings and this funny sensation coming from her pelvis.

  Her mind felt foggy, an impenetrable haze clouding her thoughts, while her stomach grumbled ominously, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in hours. A dull headache pulsed at her temples, and her vision swam with a disconcerting blur. Swaying slightly, she stumbled to a nearby wall, grateful for its solid support as she leaned against it, her heart racing.

  Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths, focusing on the rhythm of her inhations and exhations, desperate to regain her composure. "Calm down, Beth... It will be okay. You’re going to find Isadora, and then everything will make sense again," she reassured herself, shaking her head as if to clear the cobwebs of doubt and fear.

  She stood just outside the Noble District, her destination—the imposing Estragon Estate—looming into sight. Its grand fa?ade was as intimidating as ever, surrounded by fifteen-foot stone walls. Past the walls were lush gardens, meticulously kept hedges, and the Estate itself. But Bethany needed to focus and push her way through the crowds to the mansion.

  'I'm fine. Just keep moving forward. Once I get to Isadora's pce, I'll feel better. She'll help me find Tessa,' Bethany thought.

  Her body throbbed with a dull ache, a sensation that felt both foreign and oddly exhirating. A warm flush enveloped her, making her feel as though she were in the throes of a fever. Her nipples stood defiantly erect, a clear sign of her heightened sensuality, while her breasts felt unusually full, stretching her blouse to its limits. It was as if her figure had transformed in the span of an hour, her once modest curves now swelling to a pronounced C-cup, each movement accentuating the changes. As she walked, her hips swayed with an alluring confidence that caused her to be acutely aware of the tightness of her leather pants, which clung to her curves like a second skin. The corset, intended to enhance her silhouette, now felt restrictive, digging deeply into her belly and reminding her of how her body was shifting in unexpected ways. An insatiable craving pulsed within her with the likes she had never known. It was like she hadn’t eaten in a month. Deep down, her body was signaling a need for nourishing nutrients, urging her to indulge in hearty, wholesome foods that could replenish her energy and satisfy her hunger as her body grows closer to supporting a child.

  'It's just the hunger pains, Beth. Once you get some food, you'll feel better,' Bethany told herself. Her steps were unsteady, and her hips started to sway from side to side. A few strands of hair had come undone from her ponytail, and her cheeks were flushed.

  Bethany winced as an uncomfortable pressure began to build in her chest; her corset had tightened dangerously, leaving her shirt feeling uncomfortably constricted.

  “Ugh, just focus and get to Isadora's already!” she excimed, an edge of frustration creeping into her voice as her eyes darted anxiously among the bustling crowd.

  The sun bzed overhead, casting a warm glow on the vibrant scene around her. People meandered past, their lively chatter blending with the sounds of the city. Despite the cheerful atmosphere, she felt a growing unease as she sensed a few onlookers casting gnces in her direction, their eyes lingering longer than usual.

  ‘I've been out in the sun for too long,’ she thought, trying to dismiss the discomfort and focus on reaching her destination.

  Unbeknownst to her, a small crowd began to gather behind her. A group of women stood together, their hushed whispers mingling with the ambient sounds of the bustling street. They exchanged gnces and giggles, each sharing their own opinions and specutions about the frantic woman ahead of them.

  'I need to get off the street. I'm too conspicuous,' Bethany thought, her face was red, and her clothes were uncomfortable.

  She was sweating, and her nipples were erect.

  "Are you alright, miss?" A woman asked.

  Bethany turned around, and the woman had a concerned look on her face.

  "Uh, yes. I'm fine," Bethany said.

  "Are you sure? You seem a bit flushed," the woman said.

  "Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Bethany said in a huff and turned to leave.

  She noticed that there were more women looking at her, and their eyes were focused on her.

  "Oh, um, is it just me, or are the women around here nosier than normal?" Bethany whispered under her breath.

  The rogue picked up her pace and headed towards the Estragon Estate.

  'Why is everyone looking at me? Am I standing out too much? Maybe my clothes are a bit too tight,' Bethany thought and kept walking.

  But the people's stares were becoming too much for her, and she felt like she was being judged. She wanted to get off the streets as quickly as possible, but the people kept staring at her, and their gazes made her feel uncomfortable as her bosoms bounced and her hips swayed from side to side.

  'Shit, why does it feel like my breasts are swelling?' Bethany thought, and her corset was feeling extremely tight.

  After weaving through the crowds, Bethany finally arrived at the gates to the Estragon Estate.

  She let out a sigh of relief, and her hands gripped the stone wall.

  "Oh, thank god. I'm here," Bethany said and walked up the path.

  "Halt," the guard said.

  Bethany was stopped by one of the estate guards, and the woman's gaze was focused on her.

  "State your business," the guard said.

  "Um, hello. I'm a friend of Lady Isadora, and I'd like to speak with her," Bethany said.

  The female guard remembered who this woman was, but she almost didn't recognize her due to all of Bethany's changes.

  "Oh!? It's you—the one from a few days ago," the guard said, staring at the woman's breasts, which threatened to burst out of her blouse. "You are one of the adventurers that Lady Isadora hired, yes?" she asked, and Bethany nodded.

  "Yes, I need to talk to Isadora," Bethany said.

  "Of course, please go ahead," the guard said, opening the gate.

  Bethany entered the estate, and the guard closed the gate.

  "Thank you," Bethany said.

  "My pleasure, and please be careful out there. The Priestesses are more active than I've ever seen," the guard said.

  Bethany gave the guard a weary smile, knowing firsthand how aggressive they had been. The rogue waved her goodbye and headed towards the main entrance.

  She was happy that the guard didn't question her further and hoped Isadora wasn't busy.

  *GROAN!*

  'Ugh! And maybe I can get a bite to eat,' Bethany thought, and her belly rumbled loudly.

  Bethany knocked on the door and waited.

  "Hello? Miss Katrina? It's me, Bethany," the rogue called out.

  "Ah, one moment," Katrina's voice came through the door.

  A minute ter, the door opened, and the maid appeared.

  "Miss Bethany, what a surprise, and why do you look a bit flush?" Katrina asked.

  "It's been a rough day. I was hoping to talk to Isadora," Bethany replied.

  "Oh! She's in the middle of getting her dressed, tailored, but I don't see the harm in letting her know you're here," Katrina said.

  "Thank you," Bethany said.

  "If you'll follow me," Katrina said.

  Bethany entered the mansion and followed Katrina. She felt better getting out of the sun, but her corset was getting too tight, and her clothes were uncomfortable.

  Katrina led the rogue through the main hall, and they passed the kitchen.

  'Oh, the smell of that meat, it smells so good,' Bethany thought as her cravings for savory things were taking hold. 'Ugh! Not yet! I can't just rummage through the Baroness's pantry!'

  They continued walking, and Bethany followed the maid up the stairs.

  They went down the hall, and the sound of women chatting could be heard.

  'Sounds like Isadora is having a party,' Bethany thought.

  Katrina opened the door, and Bethany saw that the room was filled with women.

  "Here we are," Katrina said.

  She opened the door and went inside.

  "Mistress Elizabeth, Lady Yvette, Miss Isadora... Bethany is here," Katrina announced.

  Bethany stood in the doorway and watched as the young noblewoman stood in front of the mirror with a flustered tailor who was busy fixing her dress.

  Isadora was surprised and embarrassed to have her friend show up in her moment of despair, as her pregnancy was still going on and her body was changing faster than anyone could've predicted.

  'This is so humiliating!' Isadora thought.

  The raven-haired woman had a blush on her face and a frown on her lips.

  Tessa, who was in a new maid's uniform, was even more embarrassed than Isadora, as her once nimble scout's body had developed into a buxom maid with her tits pushing out the front of her blouse. Her thighs were thick, and her butt was wide. Her blonde hair had grown all the way down her back, and her waist had grown two sizes smaller. Her face had gone from a cute and innocent one to a sultry and sexy one. It was like the blessing was trying to catch up with Isadora's fertility, and Tessa was now the epitome of a fertile woman as her baby was growing healthy within her.

  'Dammit! I thought I wouldn't have to see Bethany for months! Once she finds out about this, she'll never let me live it down,' Tessa thought as she wanted to leave the room right now, but Miss Esther grabbed the former adventurer's shoulder and held her still as the tailor's apprentice was making some finishing touches to her maid's dress.

  "Bethany? What brings you here?" Isadora asked.

  "Lady Isadora, I'm sorry for barging in, but I really need to speak with you," Bethany said in a hurry, but the scent of an hors d'oeuvres tray caught her nose.

  ‘Wow, that smells divine!’ Bethany thought she heard her stomach growl as the tantalizing aroma wafted through the air. The exquisite dispy of hors d'oeuvres on the elegantly arranged table made her mouth water. Each bite-sized delicacy looked more tempting than the st, from the glistening shrimp cocktail to the delicate pastry shells filled with rich cream.

  In her hunger-fueled excitement, Bethany forgot that she was in the middle of a conversation with her friend Isadora. Without a second thought, she surged forward, barely able to contain her eagerness as she approached the food table.

  Isadora, momentarily taken aback, felt a wave of concern wash over her. She watched as Bethany’s eyes lit up with fierce hunger, and her movements quickened, as if she were on a mission to gather as much food as possible.

  Bethany wasted no time. With barely a gnce back, she inhaled three sandwiches in rapid succession, the taste of each one sending her senses into a delightful frenzy. Just as she reached for a fourth, the voice of Baroness Elizabeth rang out, cutting through the hum of the gathering and snapping Bethany back to her surroundings.

  "Well, that was rather rude. You come in here as if you are desperate, and then you rush over to the food table," Baroness Elizabeth said, and Yvette gave the adventurer a gre.

  "This younger generation is cking any proper etiquette. It's no wonder the Temple of Life has to send out the Risphina's Harvesters to collect all the Ladies who've been blessed with the sacred waters," Yvette said with a cold voice.

  'Oh crap! B-But I'm starving,' Bethany thought, and her cheeks blushed, as her face was stuffed full of food.

  "Grandma! Mother! That's enough! Bethany looks ragged... She normally behaves herself, so something must have happened," Isadora said as she came to the defense of her friend.

  Bethany almost shed a tear hearing her friend defend her, but she couldn't speak with her mouth full. The rogue swallowed her food, and her cheeks were pink.

  "I-I'm sorry, dies. I've had a rough day. It was an awful morning, and then I ran into some priestesses in red robes. They were the reason why I came here. I had to see Isadora," Bethany said in a nervous tone.

  Yvette and Elizabeth looked at Qiona, whose face darkened as she realized that Risphina's Harvesters had been released into the city. She may have been part of the Temple of Life, but she knew the High Priestesses had a secret order of women called the Risphina's Harvesters, who were a little too zealous when it came to collecting women and using force to bring them back to the temple.

  "R-Red robed priestesses?" Qiona asked.

  "Yeah, the creepy ones who wear the masks. There were groups of them going around the commoners' districts, and they were harassing this girl on the street. Hell, they even caught me and injected the Sacred Fertility Water inside of me... I really didn't want to have to go through another miscarriage. I must be hungry from the stress of today, but I couldn't help myself," Bethany expined, and she took another sandwich and devoured it.

  That was when everyone noticed how Bethany's clothes seemed to be exceptionally snug on her.

  "Bethany... When was the st time you had your measurements taken?" Yvette asked.

  "Measurements? I haven't needed to measure myself in years—Mmm!? Where did you get this ham? It's so good!" Bethany said, and she grabbed a handful of finger foods.

  'Bethany! Stop eating, and tell us why you are here. You're acting strange,' Isadora thought as her friend seemed to be ignoring her, and the rogue was too distracted by the food. But as if Bethany could hear her thoughts, she stopped herself after finishing half the sliced ham.

  "Oh, that's right. Um, I was worried about Tessa. I was worried that the church had her after receiving the white waters, and I couldn't find her at the Inn where she stayed. I was going to ask the owner if she knew where she had been, but that was when a group of Womb Wardens spotted me and caught me in an abandoned building. That was when they injected me with the sacred waters, and the rest is a blur," Bethany said.

  "Do you know which Priestess did this?" Qiona asked.

  "Hmmm, it was a priestess with red hair and green eyes. She was still on the younger side... OH! She kept calling me, little bird, or something," Bethany said.

  'Mother Josephine... So the Temple of Life promoted her to a Womb Warden,' Qiona thought.

  "She said she'll come back in a week to see if the blessing will take root, but the joke's on her! Because I've never had a blessing st more than two days! Mmm! The passion fruit is really ripe! Oh! The honey buns are delicious," Bethany said as she stuffed her face and ate every morsel of food she could get her hands on.

  Isadora gnced sideways at Tessa, whose face was almost crimson as she stood with her back to the group. "So... you came here to look for Tessa?" she asked, a hint of curiosity cing her tone.

  "Yes," Bethany replied, her brow furrowed with concern. "I couldn’t help but notice that she seemed a bit plump after our st get-together a few days ago. I was worried that the Priestesses might misinterpret her weight gain and think the Sacred Waters had taken root.”

  The atmosphere shifted as everyone turned their gaze toward Tessa, amusement evident in their smirks. Tessa, acutely aware of their stares, shifted uncomfortably, her grip tightening on the hem of her dress. Unbeknownst to Bethany, the maid primping in front of the mirror was indeed Tessa; it was only a matter of time before the truth would dawn on her.

  As she chewed on another sandwich, her eyes darted nervously around the room. Bethany continued, "I’m genuinely worried that the Priestesses will jump to conclusions and think she’s pregnant simply because of a little extra weight. They might come after her, believing she needs to be... collected.”

  Her words hung in the air, filled with a mix of concern and determination. "That's why I had to come here. But now I can’t seem to find her anywhere. Have you heard anything?" she implored, her voice tinged with urgency.

  Tessa was furious that her friend had the audacity to say she was getting fat. She wanted to retort, but deep down she felt a twinge of insecurity, especially after the unexpected transformation her body underwent following the extravagant tea party they had with Isadora. The once slim figure she was accustomed to now blossomed into a voluptuous shape, leaving her in a state of confusion.

  “Um? I do know where she is... but,” Isadora hesitated, gncing around as if gauging everyone’s reactions. She didn't know if she should point out that Tessa was standing right here in the room with them.

  "You do? Oh, thank the gods!" Bethany excimed, relief flooding her voice. "We need to tell her right away. She has to lie low for a while. If she gets caught, they'll assume she’s pregnant. Knowing those priestesses, they would probably drag her back to the temple and force her into some antiquated ritual!"

  Everyone froze as some of them were trying to hold back their ughter while a certain blonde-haired maid was blushing with embarrassment and anger at her friend.