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A separation of two long months—when reunited, was like dry kindling meeting a blazing fire.
Half an hour later, within the grand bath chamber—
"Nnn…! Wait…just…slow down a bit—ah!"
Needless to say, the intensity of their "battle" swiftly escalated.
One hour later—
"Hold on…just give me a moment…ah—again!?"
There was no time for hesitation; the next round had already begun.
Two hours later—
"Enough…! You're too much…I can't…!"
Without room for negotiation, waves pushed one after another, scattering the fragrant rose petals floating atop the bathwater.
Two and a half hours later—
Splash—!
Like an enormous bucket in a children's pool suddenly tipping over, the water surged abruptly, turning cloudy and white around the two. Venelana's gracefully arched, pale neck finally went limp, her head drooping gently forward.
She loosely draped her arms around Bokue's shoulders, her exquisite chin resting softly against his collarbone, panting lightly into his neck.
"You meanie…"
Her voice wasn't angry but rather playfully complaining, tinted with bashful sweetness. After taking a few moments to catch her breath, Venelana managed to lift her head with some effort, whispering softly near Bokue's ear.
Of course, Bokue wasn't inclined to spoil her entirely. With a slight relaxation of the grip supporting her thighs, he elicited a small, panicked gasp from her lips.
Not that it was dangerous; after all, they'd been exercising vigorously in the bath for quite some time, and at this point, Venelana was at her most exhausted. Falling into the water wouldn't actually endanger her life, though choking on some water was certainly a risk.
As for exactly what kind of vigorous exercise…well, in a bath, could it really be anything but swimming?
No way, no way. Absolutely not. They'd just been innocently swimming. (Totally convincing.)
Now that their 'exercise' was over, Bokue finally took a break. Holding Venelana firmly, he moved to a cleaner area near the edge of the bath, carefully sitting down upon the submerged steps.
Facing each other, their bodies remained intimately connected, perfectly fitting together.
Venelana adjusted herself slightly; in this position, her knees rested securely on the bath steps. With enough firm support, she became a bit bolder, straightening her body carefully and reaching out with delicate, slightly flushed fingers to gently pinch Bokue's earlobe.
"You're so cruel, you know? Doing such a thing to me immediately upon returning… Say, have you already gone to see Rias and the others?"
Initially, she'd wanted to ask if he had come straight to her first, but quickly realized that her original phrasing might sound far too jealous. Instead, she cleverly shifted the conversation, expressing a motherly concern for her daughter instead.
"Not yet."
Hearing this, Venelana's lips curved upward by at least fifteen degrees.
Bokue continued,
"I came directly from the Human World, teleporting through the dimensional barrier around Itogami Island. It wasn't perfectly precise; I could only guarantee I'd arrive somewhere in the castle, not exactly where. Fortunately, by sheer coincidence, I landed right next to you, Venelana."
"Sheer… coincidence?"
Something in that phrase struck a nerve. One elegant strand of hair on Venelana's forehead twitched slightly.
The smile she'd just been wearing took on a subtle hint of danger.
"In other words, Bokue, you didn't originally plan to see me first, did you?"
"…What do you think?"
After a brief pause, Bokue tilted his head slightly, responding casually with his own question.
Hmm…
Venelana found herself momentarily speechless.
Of course, she had only been playfully teasing him. After everything he'd done today, doubting his sincerity would be utterly ridiculous. Clearly, he'd missed her immensely; after all, no one who didn't want to see her would behave this way.
"Alright, alright, I was just teasing."
Venelana laughed softly, leaning forward and lightly brushing her lips against his, silently apologizing with a lingering kiss.
After some time, she straightened up again, slightly leaning back and securely interlocking her fingers behind Bokue's neck.
"So, that important family business you mentioned—it's all settled now, right? Rias said your family had given you some critical task. Now that you're here, does that mean everything went smoothly?"
"Not entirely."
Bokue thought for a moment before answering honestly.
"Things are temporarily stable, but I'll still need to keep an eye on the situation for a while longer."
"Temporarily stable? What exactly happened?"
Venelana appeared curious; after all, she knew nothing of the specifics of his task.
"To put it simply—"
Bokue paused briefly, organizing his thoughts, then succinctly explained the cause and effect of recent events.
"I see. A vampire progenitor, is it…"
Venelana contemplated briefly, swiftly grasping the situation with a nod of understanding.
Unlike humans, vampires weren't unusual in the Underworld. Here, even a Vampire True Ancestor, though incredibly powerful, wasn't necessarily unmatched. Against creatures like dragons, progenitors at best had an even chance—usually slightly disadvantaged due to their physical limitations.
In short, powerful though a True Ancestor might be, it was still within manageable range. Although, admittedly, it'd certainly terrify humans—from Japan's Imperial Household to the Cabinet, the Lion King Organization, and even renowned Onmyoji families, they'd all be sweating bullets.
"Well… If you say it's stable for now, does that mean you won't have to return there in the next couple of days?"
Suddenly acting quite coquettish, Venelana pursed her lips and tightened her embrace, gently leaning closer and whispering softly into his ear.
It was difficult to imagine such a mature, dignified lady could display such playful, girlish tendencies. Her sudden closeness again pressed their bodies intimately together.
Yet Bokue maintained his usual discipline, calmly adjusting her position slightly in his lap as he shrugged helplessly.
"I can't guarantee that. I may still need to check in during the day. But if everything goes smoothly, it'll likely only take half a day—nothing too long."
"Oh…"
Seeing Bokue so persistent, Venelana knew better than to push further.
Half a day wasn't so bad; at worst, she'd sleep in late, and once she woke, he'd already be back again. Then, like today, after lunch, she'd just wait for him here and then…hehe~
"Ah, by the way, what time is it now?"
Still immersed in her happy little thoughts, Venelana asked absently.
Bokue hesitated briefly, turning around to grab his phone from the bath's edge and tapping the screen to check.
"Almost four o'clock…"
"Eh?!"
Immediately alert, Venelana straightened abruptly, anxiously patting Bokue's shoulder in a small panic.
"Quick—quickly, we have to get out! The maids will be coming soon to clean the bath and replace the water. If they find us like this…"
"Alright, alright."
Standing swiftly, Bokue lifted Venelana from the water. He scooped up their clothing and his phone, and in the next instant, the two vanished into thin air.
Fifteen minutes later, Grayfia arrived at the bathhouse to perform her cleaning duties. As she carefully observed a suspicious white, gelatinous substance floating conspicuously in the corner of the bath, Grayfia found herself momentarily lost in puzzled contemplation.
What is this? Just…what exactly happened here?
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