CHAPTER 360: OBSESSION (2)

0% Most people didn’t know where Eleanor and I were spending our honeymoon, but there are a few who did.

Atalante, Elfante’s headmistress, was one of them.

Right now, she was looking down at me as if I was a fucking roadkill.

“...Still alive?”

“Barely.”

I croaked out my words like a tree that had been split in half by lightning.

“Well, things had calmed down a little so I came to discuss something, but...”

She sized me up and down before sighing as if she had seen a ghost.

“...Are you sure you’re alive?”

“...”

Guess I must’ve looked that bad if she asked me twice in a row.

Hearing that question from the person who always looked half-dead from overworking hit different though.

My back was killing me.

My head was spinning

My skin was all dry and I felt fucking nauseous...

[...It’s impressive you aren’t dead from being milked by a fucking Devil.]

“...”

I had to agree with that. Hell, I couldn’t agree more.

Before, I had been knocking on heaven’s door from all of my injuries, but now, it was due to being fucked to exhaustion.

“Here’s your breakfast, Sir.”

Bella—Eleanor’s personal maid who had come all the way here to serve us—said that as she set down some grub next to me.

I reached for the plate in front of me, trying to replenish some of my energy somehow...

But stopped when I saw what was on it.

“...Uh, Bella-san?”

“Yes?”

“...What the hell is all this?”

While yes, it was a fancy spread.

There were eels, oysters, garlic, and so on1.

The ‘purpose’ was clear as fucking day.

“...What’s this all about—”

“I’ve heard of how baffled the cleaning maid was. She couldn’t believe that so many soaked bed sheets could possibly be from one room.”

“...”

“I’d appreciate it if you could keep it up at that level.”

Hearing those words that held a lot of meanings behind them, I instantly shut my trap.

Then, I picked up my fork and knife with a gloomy expression.

Anyway, I knew damn well that this stuff was essential to live through another fucking day, so i couldn’t just turn it away.

“...Just...hang in there.”

Atalante let out a deep sigh as she watched me munch on my stamina food like it was my last meal.

“So... Why did you come all the way here?”

Right... She said that she had something to discuss...

“Unfortunately, I’m not here to bring good news.”

“...What?”

I corrected my posture, bracing for impact.

The system already showed me some ‘ending’ message and whatnot, so I didn’t think it’d be anything too crazy, but there was always unexpected sh—

“No, it’s not that serious.”

“...Then just spit it out.”

“It’s just, Lady Tristan isn’t the only one planning to wring you dry.”

“...”

“After you somehow survive this place, countless more trials and hardships await you.”

“...”

“Stay alive, Dowd.”

No.

That still sounded fucking serious to me!

●

The love nest where Eleanor and I were staying was located in quite the impressive climate zone among the Tristan territory.

You could see the beach and ocean from the terrace, and at sunset, the world turned red like a painting.

The weather was warm and breezy like the Mediterranean; the kind of place you could relax and fall asleep just by lying down.

“...Hey, Eleanor.”

That was why I wished this woman would let me enjoy the damn atmosphere for at least a few minutes!

The way she naturally brought out handcuffs and shackles every evening was fucking creepy. It was like she was planning to do this to me daily.

After tying me up like a Christmas turkey, she started to casually read something on the bed.

“Mm?”

Eleanor—who was wearing a monocle—answered calmly while turning a page.

I glare at the cover of the book she was reading with twitching eyes.

[Childcare 101].

“...”

Then I scanned the stack of books on the bedside table.

[Pregnancy Facts 101]

[Recommended Foods for Women of Childbearing Age]

[What Every Expecting Mother Must Know!]

“...You know, we just got married yesterday.”

“Mm?”

“Is there really a need to rush for kids like this...?”

Hearing that, Eleanor snapped her book shut and looked at me.

She tilted her head while looking at me with a doubtful face, as if she was genuinely confused by what I was saying.

“A day is long enough already, no?”

“...”

“If anything, I’m rather disappointed we couldn’t conceive yesterday.”

“...Why are you in such a hurry...?”

“I have my future plans to think about. At this rate, it will take quite a while to realize them.”

“...”

Just how many kids was she planning to have to be disappointed about not getting pregnant on the first night of our honeymoon?

Come to think of it...

What the hell was going to happen to my future?

“Besides, I’m not the only one aiming to bear your children.”

She said as she got up.

“To have you in a state where they can’t complain, conceiving first is barely enough. How many women do you think you have to deal with?”

“...”

Setting aside the devastating content of that sentence for now.

It was a bit surprising to hear Eleanor saying something like this

“...I thought you’d be throwing a fit, not letting anyone else even touch me and all that.”

Eleanor walked over to me with a wry smile.

“I’d more than love to, but... Wouldn’t that make you uncomfortable?”

“...”

Hearing those words, I let out a wry smile.

Couldn’t argue with that.

I felt sorry for her, but as I’ve said a million times before, my goal was to make ‘all’ the women around me happy.

Since I’ve gotten this far, I’ve got to take responsibility for the shit I started, no?

“Well, I decided to like that manly side of you as well anyway.”

Eleanor shrugged, before pulling me onto the bed and throwing me down as if I was a sack of potatoes.

Then she plopped her head on my stomach like I’m her personal pillow.

“...Eleanor?”

“Pillows aren’t supposed to move, you know?”

She said that while nuzzling her head deeper into my body like a cat.

The cool sea breeze blew in through the window, making her silver hair flow like a waterfall.

Silence enveloped us.

Not an awkward one, but a warm and cozy one.

Like a purring cat, her quiet breathing made me think she was quite cute without realizing it.

Then, she stayed like that, closing her eyes.

As if she wanted to stay close to me like this and keep feeling my warmth.

“...What a blissful time.”

“Mm.”

Right...

Now that we were lying down here like this, it felt like all the shit we had been through was worth it.

How much we’d been through, both possible and impossible...

“Still, we shouldn’t feel too at ease.”

“Huh?”

“Sharing a life together is likely to be much more challenging than you think.”

As soon as that sentence ended, my eyes widened.

Because I could feel Demonic Aura suddenly starting to leak out around her body as she said that.

“A gift to add some tension to your relaxed consciousness, Darling.”

“...”

What the actual fuck?

Before I could even ask, the Gray Demonic Aura clamped together and began to take human form.

[...]

What popped out was the Gray Devil, crossing her arms while resting her chin on her hand with a disgruntled expression

I hadn’t seen her since she was subdued by Eleanor, but judging by her face, she clearly wasn’t happy with her current situation.

“Honestly, this fellow’s quite difficult to handle. Despite being trapped inside me, she always tries to screw me over at every chance she gets.”

The Gray Devil picked her ear boredly at Eleanor’s words.

As if she was trying to say, ‘Of course, you brought this on yourself, bitch’.

To that, Eleanor shrugged before continuing calmly.

“Sometimes you’d need to vent out a little to get along better, no?”

[...?]

Hearing that, the Gray Devil’s face lit up.

She turned her gaze to me, thinking for a moment before turning back to Eleanor.

Her face made an expression that seemed like saying, ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’.

“Mhm.”

To that, Eleanor nodded, as if to say ‘That’s right’.

[Oh.]

A crooked smile spread across the Gray Devil’s face

At the same time, a chill ran down my spine.

I have a bad feeling about this...

“Darling.”

Eleanor grinned...

“How do you feel about a threesome?”

“...”

For fuck’s sake.

Please, no.

FOOTNOTES

1. Meals to increase one's libido.