In a hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, a soft sense of pressure came from his face, as if something warm and heavy was gently pressing down on him.

Breathing became slightly difficult. The air seemed to be blocked by that soft touch, bringing on a subtle feeling of suffocation.

Ryohei Tanaka instinctively frowned and pushed at it.

And then...

...

"Lucoa, don't do that next time, okay!"

In the first-floor kitchen, Ryohei Tanaka spoke to Lucoa, who was at the bar, all while washing rice to prepare congee.

It had been a very stimulating morning.

He had barely managed to restrain himself from turning into a beast ruled by desire.

Although, when he went to sleep last night, Ryohei had wondered if the morning might start this way. But now that it had actually happened, besides being excited, he also felt a little guilty.

After all, Yurine was sleeping right in the next room.

"Eeh?"

"But Tanaka-kun, you were clearly very excited!" Lucoa replied, looking at him with complete surprise.

She rested both hands on the bar, her body leaning forward slightly, making the curves of her chest appear even more full and round beneath her clothes. Her hips tilted back slightly, tracing an alluring arc. Her long, full legs—a full 113.4 centimeters—were wrapped snugly in black over-the-knee stockings, radiating an air of mystery and sex appeal.

She was wearing a pair of pink slippers. Her left leg was stretched out straight, while her right was slightly bent, her toes tapping lightly on the floor as if silently teasing the air around her.

"Ah... I get it now!"

As if struck by a sudden realization, Lucoa straightened up, raised one slender finger, and flashed a playful smile.

"This is what people always talk about—'The mouth says no, but the body is very honest!'"

"I didn't realize Tanaka-kun was such a tsundere!"

"I'm not a tsundere!" Ryohei snapped, leaning back. "And you know way too much!"

Feeling like he had been thoroughly teased by Lucoa, Ryohei couldn't resist. He braced his left hand on the stove, leaned over the counter, and reached out to grab Lucoa's cheek, pulling it to the side.

Even though they had only known each other for two days, they had already done things far more intimate. An act like pinching her cheek felt completely natural to him.

"Mmph..."

But his hand slipped. Having just washed the rice, his hand was still wet, and Lucoa's cheek was incredibly smooth and soft. He couldn't get a grip.

"Ara ara, Tanaka-kun, you really are adorable~."

Having her cheek pulled didn't bother Lucoa at all. She opened her left eye, took a step back with a grin, and created some distance. Then she raised a slender hand to wipe the damp spot off her face, her voice mature and captivating.

The end of the word tilted up slightly, carrying an intoxicating charm. She was the very definition of a succubus.

"Tch—!"

"Lucoa..."

Ryohei poured the washed rice into the clay pot, added the appropriate amount of water, and turned the heat up high to boil. He then narrowed his eyes at the gorgeous former goddess.

"I'm getting the feeling you're just teasing a child. Is that my imagination?"

The feeling was getting stronger and stronger. Ryohei was obviously not a child, but compared to Lucoa, whose life experience was incalculable, calling him a child was probably a compliment.

"...Of course not Σ(゜ロ゜;)."

Lucoa's eyes flew wide open. She held up one finger and declared emphatically, "This is just how I express affection!"

"But your reaction isn't very convincing." Ryohei stared at her with skeptical, half-lidded eyes.

"I insist that you give your familiar a little trust!"

"Ohayou!"

Minos, having finished her morning exercise and walk with Bate, was covered in sweat and preparing to head upstairs for a shower. Hearing the noise from the living room, she poked her head in and gave an energetic greeting.

"Ohayou, Minos," Ryohei replied, turning his head to greet the cow-girl. Lucoa also waved a greeting at her.

After that, Minos said, "I'm going to shower first," and left.

...

Morning sunlight spilled through the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows, coating the room in a soft golden hue and warming the very air.

At six-thirty, Yurine came downstairs.

She entered the living room, saw Lucoa, and simply opened her eyes a fraction wider before giving a slight nod, which served as a greeting.

Lucoa, however, smiled brightly and said, "Good morning, Ms. Yurine."

When Ryohei saw Yurine, he felt a jolt of guilt, but he immediately composed himself. Lucoa was just "teasing a child," and he had ultimately resisted temptation.

He greeted Yurine with his usual smile, "Good morning," and then held up two fingers. "We're having lean pork and green vegetable congee this morning. It'll be about twenty more minutes."

"Mhm." Yurine nodded softly, a trace of anticipation in her eyes.

Her gaze swept over Lucoa at the bar, and then she walked into the open kitchen. She stood before Ryohei, opened her arms, and tilted her chin up.

"Tanaka-kun, time for a good morning kiss~."

This was the first time she had ever actively asked for one.

A flash of surprise crossed Ryohei's face, quickly replaced by a smile. He could guess what Yurine was thinking, and he found it rather cute.

"Mhm."

He chuckled softly, turned, and opened his arms, pulling Yurine into an embrace.

"Eeh? Eeh?"

Lucoa's voice, feigning shock, came from the side. "Are you two really not going to be discreet in front of other people?"

Ryohei and Yurine answered her with their actions—

They would not!

...

"Huu..."

When the good morning kiss ended, Yurine's breathing was slightly uneven, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. Then, she narrowed her eyes like an alert little cat and began to sniff at Ryohei's chest.

"What's wrong?" Ryohei asked, his heart suddenly pounding. "Do I smell strange?"

'No way, right?'

He had already washed his face, wiped his neck and chest with a towel, and even changed his pajamas. There shouldn't be any trace of Lucoa's scent left on him, right?

Seeing this, Lucoa also looked a little surprised. An imperceptible trace of guilt flashed across her face as she turned her head away, pretending to be unconcerned.

"Tanaka-kun..."

As if she had confirmed something, Yurine looked up, her gaze sharp as she stared at Ryohei, like a wife who had just caught her husband cheating. Her voice was hauntingly quiet.

"Why... do you smell like another woman? You didn't smell like this when we parted ways last night!"

Jashin-chan, who had just come down the stairs and entered the living room, happened to hear those exact words. Her eyes shot wide open, her face a mask of utter shock.

(°ロ°) !

Then... the shock turned into suspicion, and then her mouth split into a massive grin. Seizing what she saw as a golden opportunity, she pointed at Ryohei and shrieked, "He cheated! He cheated! The Servant definitely cheated! Yurine, punish him! Teach him a lesson!"

Jashin-chan had long suffered under this Servant who used Yurine's power as a shield, held food over her head, and bossed her around. Now that she finally had leverage, she immediately began to fan the flames.

Ryohei looked up at Jashin-chan, who clearly wished him dead. Then he looked down, placed his hands humbly in front of him, and adopted the posture of a man sincerely confessing his sins.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I cheated. My affair partner is Jashin-chan!"

Hearing this, Jashin-chan, who was still standing in the entryway, froze completely. Her eyes bulged even wider than before, and her jaw dropped in stunned silence.

Σ(゜ロ゜;)

'What the hell are you babbling about?!'

~~~

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