Ilea forcefully suppressed the surge of violent thoughts in her heart, taking two deep, heavy breaths.
“You…what’s wrong now?”
At this moment, Viel, somewhat sensitive, noticed the young lady’s chest rising and falling rapidly.
“My…mana is a bit depleted. Everything I did today…hehe, I guess it really was pushing myself too hard~”
Ilea’s voice sounded a little weak.
Though still much the same as always, to Viel — who had grown accustomed to the domineering young lady — it somehow felt……a little pitiful.
Hmph…of course, just a tiny, tiny bit!
“Then…do you…need to…replenish your mana…?”
The goddess’s voice grew softer and softer, until by the end it was little more than a self-conscious whisper.
Uuugh…what am I even saying…
Her head instinctively leaned closer to Ilea, or rather — at this point Viel had curled herself entirely under the covers, seemingly wanting to hide away out of shyness.
In the next instant, she felt the quilt shift a few times, and then…a pair of crimson eyes appeared in this secret, safe little “magical quilt space.”
Hoo—!
Without giving her the slightest chance to react again, those scarlet eyes closed the distance in a heartbeat!
Their foreheads pressed tightly together, and they could both feel each other’s breaths.
At that moment…for some reason, Viel’s mind drifted back to that question from earlier: “Viel, aren’t you conflicted about what we really are to each other?”
So…are we master and servant, or…?
“Viel, give it to me.”
“Mm!”
The moment the words fell, a suffocating wave — like a roaring tide — completely overwhelmed Viel.
And with that tide came a ferocious pink shark, constantly attacking Viel’s weak points, sometimes charging in with a rough bite, sometimes wrapping around her like a sea serpent, sometimes dragging her down into deeper ocean trenches…
Why…does this feel…even better than the first time?
It’s…kind of…hot.
Ah…no good…this feeling…it’s like…
I’ll get addicted.
So the goddess thought, yet her body instinctively…awkwardly began to respond.
Tiny crystal drops pooled at the corners of her eyes, soaking the bedsheets beneath her.
In this hazy, half-real, half-dream state…
Viel’s consciousness gradually sank, drawn into a deeper darkness…
“Hoo…”
The half-transparent crystals vanished into the air, and the soft quilt slowly slid off Ilea’s body.
“Thanks for the treat…my goddess.”
Those crimson eyes gazed at Viel beneath her — her white nightgown disheveled, her delicate collarbones exposed, eyes and lips tinged red, already slipping into a sweet slumber.
Ilea whispered softly to herself.
She didn’t move.
Though little Viel was completely defenseless right now, the young lady had no intention of devouring her any further.
Because…the mana she needed was already enough.
Besides, just like last time, doing this with Viel brought a rather strange sensation.
It was as if her soul was being pulled by something, like opposite poles of magnets — when kept just close enough, they’d lightly drift toward each other.
This feeling was a bit uncomfortable, and it made Ilea wary.
“Not even understanding your own body’s condition…you really are an idiot…”
Ilea reached out and lightly brushed Viel’s nose, but then…her hand instinctively closed around the girl’s slender, fair neck…
And slowly tightened.
“Mmh ….”
Viel let out a faint, uncomfortable murmur in her sleep…and that sound snapped Ilea, whose scarlet eyes had begun to darken, back to her senses!
“Ah…”
She immediately let go, the twisted smile at the corner of her lips vanishing at once.
Looking at the stark red marks now marring the goddess’s pale neck, Ilea’s brows gradually furrowed.
She couldn’t fully control her emotions right now.
If she kept suppressing it like this, something would surely happen eventually…
Maybe she needed to find an outlet for her violence.
She couldn’t keep taking it out on those close to her like this.
Of course…bullying them just a little…was still fine~
The next morning, sunlight poured across the gold-and-red patterned carpet of the corridor.
The soft rumble of wheels accompanied by a girl’s gentle humming brought a special kind of energy and vitality to the early hours.
Twin red ponytails swayed lightly.
Right now, Yumina was pushing a cart loaded with the young lady’s breakfast.
Last night, the young lady had specially instructed her to prepare four portions and bring them to her room.
Though she didn’t really understand why, as a devoted maid, Yumina followed the order faithfully — getting up bright and early to prepare a lavish spread.
Reaching the door, she pulled out her pocket watch for a glance.
Hm…the young lady should be awake by now.
Knock knock knock…
“Young lady?” the maid softly tapped on the door.
“Come in~”
A slightly lazy voice answered almost immediately from within.
Phew…
But the moment Yumina pushed open the door, she found herself witnessing…something she probably shouldn’t have.
The young lady was leaning against the headboard, propping up her head with one hand, her eyes glimmering with a faint smile as she looked beside her.
And at her side, Viel — wearing a somewhat rumpled white gauze nightgown — was hugging Ilea’s arm, fast asleep.
“U-uh…Y-Young lady…did I…come at a bad time?”
“No~ you came at just the right time~”
Ilea smiled and beckoned Yumina over.
“Um…young lady, last night did you two…”
Yumina’s face gradually turned bright red.
By the time she reached Ilea, even the tips of her ears were completely flushed.
“Mm~ last night…we slept together, and did some…very interesting things~”
“Very interesting…things…was it a new game?
“What new game…it was way more exciting than any game~”
“Hmm?”
Right at that moment, Viel slowly opened her sleepy eyes, staring blankly at the two in front of her…for a solid three seconds.
“B-breakfast? Eh? Wah!!?”
Huff—!
Slightly more awake now, the goddess jumped off the bed like a startled cat, her black eyes wide in shock as she looked at the spot where she had just been lying.
“Y-you…what are you doing in my room?!”
Then she seemed to recall something, freezing for two seconds.
Ah…right, she had slept in this woman’s room last night…
“Awake now?”
Ilea smiled at Viel.
“U-um…yeah.”
The goddess looked away awkwardly, completely forgetting to tidy her slightly messy white nightdress or the crystalline sheen still at the corner of her mouth.
Sniff sniff…
But before Ilea could say anything else, the goddess’s nose twitched again!
Grrrr~
Followed immediately by the sound of her stomach rumbling.
“Um, Yumina-senpai, did you bring breakfast?”
“Pfft~”
Seeing Viel’s little hungry-cat expression, Yumina couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh softly.
She also instantly understood why the young lady had asked her to prepare four portions of breakfast.
With little Viel here, it would all be eaten for sure.
There was nothing more to say.
At Ilea’s gesture, the three gathered around the table and began their breakfast.
“Young lady, what’s the plan for today? Isn’t tomorrow the day you go to the mercenary guild?”
Yumina asked as she poured tea for Ilea.
“Mhm, today I’ll go to the cemetery to catch a few souls, then wander the streets a bit…and finally deal with the matter of the vassal corpses.”
Ilea touched her chin — truly, such a packed day.
Last time she went into town she ran into that Blue Crow mercenary group…
This time, she still planned to disguise herself.
Who knew — maybe there’d be some other unexpected gains.