The bedroom was wrapped in silence, broken only by the faint rustling of the wind outside and the mingled breathing of two people.
Beneath the warm quilt, Bella hugged Aphrodite contentedly.
Her chin gently rested against Aphrodite’s soft golden hair and those cat ears—mere decoration, yet visually perfect.
Feeling the warmth and faint fragrance emanating from the petite figure in her arms, a near-satiated sense of peace enveloped her.
Bella was undoubtedly very satisfied with the present moment.
But Aphrodite was not so easily lulled to sleep.
She simply… couldn’t fall asleep…
This position was just too…
Although Aphrodite kept reassuring herself, “It’s just like when we were kids,” “Bella is still a child herself,”
facing the soft touch of a mature woman pressed against her back, and her own small, delicate body completely encircled, such thoughts hardly held any conviction.
Just as Aphrodite tried to count sheep to lull herself to sleep, Bella’s sleepy, lazy voice drifted down from above her head:
“Milady… are you asleep yet?”
Aphrodite’s body tensed slightly, replying indistinctly, “Mmm… almost…”
How could she possibly fall asleep!
Bella let out a low chuckle, a subtle vibration coming from her chest.
“Milady’s heartbeat… is a little fast.”
She said this while tightening the arms wrapped around Aphrodite’s waist just a bit more, her warm palm gently stroking the side of her waist, as if to confirm the precious treasure in her arms was safe.
“Are you thinking about something?”
Aphrodite involuntarily shivered; that gentle touch at her waist nearly made her jump!
But there were indeed many things troubling her since coming here, though obviously bedtime wasn’t the right moment to discuss them. So she decided to avoid those troublesome topics.
“Nothing…” she mumbled, trying to change the subject. “It’s just… a bit uncomfortable sleeping like this.”
Bella gave a soft “Mm,” her arms unconsciously pulling Aphrodite closer, “Milady still remembers… how Bella used to be afraid to sleep alone, insisting that you hold her…”
“Now… the roles seem completely reversed.”
She paused, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she reminisced about those beautiful old times.
Then, suddenly remembering something extremely important, the sleepiness in her voice faded somewhat.
“Milady, this time you came back… how long do you plan to stay?” After asking, Bella held her breath, waiting for an answer.
For Bella, this was of utmost importance.
Aphrodite’s heart skipped a beat.
Here it comes! The question was inevitable after all!
The last time Bella asked, Aphrodite had come up with some excuse and thought she’d gotten away with it.
But no, she couldn’t escape this time.
“Hmm…” Aphrodite carefully chose her words, trying to sound casual and natural, “This time… I’ll probably stay longer. Maybe… one or two years?”
She gave a time frame she thought was long enough, but not exaggerated, hoping to get through this smoothly.
As the words fell, Aphrodite clearly felt Bella’s arms tighten fiercely around her! Behind her came Bella’s incredulous, delighted intake of breath.
“One… one or two years?!” Bella’s voice rose slightly in surprise, losing its usual calmness. “Really? Milady! You mean… measured in ‘years’?”
At the moment she heard this answer, Bella thought she must be dreaming.
In the past, every time Aphrodite came back, the longest was seven or eight days, the shortest just a day or two—never more than half a month! And now…
The overwhelming joy momentarily clouded Bella’s mind, but she quickly recalled something else: “But… Lady Goreia… will she allow you to be away this long?”
Aphrodite’s scalp tingled. ‘Goreia…’ The name made her feel a little guilty on instinct.
She cleared her throat, forcing calm: “Ahem… It’s not about permission or not.
I’m just giving myself a Long Holiday.”
In a way, that was the truth—she was indeed giving herself a “permanent” Long Holiday.
Bella seemed convinced by this explanation, or perhaps the excitement over “one or two years” simply overwhelmed her doubts.
She tightened her arms again, pulling Aphrodite deeper into her embrace: “That’s wonderful… really… wonderful! Bella… Bella is so happy!”
Aphrodite felt slightly suffocated by the squeeze.
The arms around her waist made her feel like she was wrapped in soft vines.
But feeling Bella’s genuine happiness, her lingering guilt eased a little.
If it could make her this happy… it was worth keeping it a secret for now…
After the excitement, fatigue slowly crept in.
Bella’s breathing grew steady and deep, and the arms holding Aphrodite seemed to loosen somewhat.
It looked like she had truly fallen asleep…
But of course not.
It was all a ruse.
Bella had no intention of letting this rare chance slip away.
Even though she had one or two years to take things slow, that didn’t mean she could slack off.
Feeling the seemingly sleeping Bella behind her, Aphrodite’s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed.
She was finally asleep…
Aphrodite shifted her position slightly, ready to drift off into dreamland.
Just as her consciousness blurred…
Bella suddenly let out a muffled murmur: “Mmm…”
At the same time, her entire body unconsciously nuzzled closer to Aphrodite, her thigh actively winding around, warm skin pressing against Aphrodite’s leg through the thin fabric of her nightgown.
The arms around her waist also seemed to seek warmth in the dream, tightening again, pressing her back more closely into the warm embrace.
!?
Aphrodite froze instantly, half of her sleepiness evaporating!
She held her breath, carefully listening to the movements behind her.
Bella’s breathing was still steady and long; the earlier motion was likely just an unconscious toss and turn in sleep, instinctively seeking warmth.
Nothing to get worked up about—Bella had this habit since childhood, hadn’t she?
Aphrodite comforted herself inwardly.
However, a few minutes later, just as she was about to fall asleep again…
Bella moved again! This time, seeming hot, she unconsciously loosened her embrace a little—but that entangling leg did not withdraw.
Instead, it brushed against Aphrodite and then shifted into a closer side-lying position.
The result was her cheek almost completely pressed against Aphrodite’s back, warm breath clearly passing through the nightgown fabric.
One arm naturally slid down, resting on Aphrodite’s hip, palm warm against her skin.
This was bad—really bad.
The warmth of breath on her back and the weight of the arm on her hip made Aphrodite’s scalp tingle!
This had to be on purpose, right?!