Argen couldn’t hide her shock, her eyes widening in disbelief.
“I-is this flowing stuff mine?
Or did you…?”
“…I was too excited.”
“…Shocking.”
“Don’t misunderstand—it wasn’t pee.”
She jerked her head up.
It wasn’t urine?
She had clearly felt a stream shooting up inside her… It was obviously a blatant lie.
When Argen narrowed her eyes, Valen sensed her gaze and frowned.
It was the expression she often wore when embarrassed.
“I swear it’s not.”
“I’ll ask Finn.”
“Why share our bed business with others?”
“But you keep lying.”
Even as the bathtub filled with water, Valen kept his arms wrapped around Argen.
The two argued passionately about whether Valen had peed or not.
Right up until the water overflowed from the tub.
Valen, who noticed the state of the tub first, let out a deep sigh.
“Fine.
If you don’t believe me, pee yourself.”
“……What do you mean?”
“Piss on my face or my dick.”
“I don’t want to piss on you!” Argen shrieked in disgust, and Valen grinned widely, showing his teeth.
When both of them stepped into the tub, the water sloshed and overflowed.
“Let me know anytime you change your mind.”
As if realising excuses wouldn’t work now, Valen started pushing relentlessly.
Watching Argen flinch at each of his words, he seemed to find it rather amusing.
Argen briefly wondered if she’d been too soft on Valen, then leaned her body against his chest.
Perhaps because it was right after lovemaking, her eyelids grew heavy and droopy.
The bathroom, which had been filled with chatter, fell silent at some point.
Feeling the warmth of the water and the soft touch of someone’s hands, Argen drifted off to sleep without realising it.
“I see.”
Argen nodded intently, her expression focused.
Nadol, seated beside her, cleared his throat and gave her a warning look.
When she slammed the book shut and looked up, the three Elders were all staring at her.
She glanced at her watch.
It was well past the time the Elders should have left for the day.
“Why are you all still here?” Argen asked, looking puzzled.
They’d been working overtime every day to manage the war damage, but things were finally starting to settle down.
Of course, overtime was still unavoidable today, but at least she wouldn’t be buried in paperwork until dawn like before.
She knew they needed sleep more than anyone after such intense work, so why hadn’t those three left their posts yet?
“Um, Lord Argen.”
“Nadol, speak.”
“I’m terribly embarrassed to say this, but shouldn’t you refrain from reading erotic novels during work hours?”
Nadol wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
Argen realised a moment too late that the erotic novel he mentioned was the one in her own hands.
She had only looked at it for research purposes, she swore, with no other intent.
But if it made others uncomfortable, dhe should refrain from openly displaying it.
“I was quite surprised to see Lord Argen, who never gives books a second glance, reading something whenever you have free time.
But for it to be an erotic novel…” Zephyr laughed heartily, his voice booming.
His mouth opened so wide his Adam’s apple was visible, making it almost uncomfortable to watch.
Finn, sitting beside him, shoved Nadol’s handkerchief into his mouth.
“Lord Argen surely doesn’t read books as a hobby.
Did that bastard say something strange?”
“……”
He had done something strange.
Though it had been a week already, the sensation still came back as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.
The oddness of that moment when the phallus filling her twitched and spurted fluid.
The old Argen would have shared everything that happened to her with the Elders, who were like family, but this time she decided to keep it buried.
Argen picked up a book in one hand and rose from her seat.
Only then did the Elders begin preparing to leave en masse.
Finn came bounding up the stairs in a single leap and crouched down with his back to Argen.
“It’s fine.”
Finn turned around, shocked by Argen’s indifferent attitude.
He quickly stood up and, fidgeting, matched his pace to hers.
“I’m worried you might trip over your skirt and fall.”
“I’d probably just break my nose.”
“Don’t act like it’s no big deal!”
“It is no big deal.”
Argen descended the stairs smoothly, not stumbling once, rendering Finn’s frantic worries beside her utterly pointless.
Nadol took the book from Argen’s hand naturally.
“You should probably be careful about getting hooked on erotic novels.
It could give you the wrong idea about sex.”
“I found what I was curious about, so I won’t be reading it for a while.”
“What on earth did you find in such novels…?
That bastard isn’t exactly a gentleman in bed, is he?
You shouldn’t get used to such vile things.” Nadol sighed and opened the door.
“Who’s a vile thing?”
“……”
Nadol, who had been a step ahead of Argen, flinched.
It was That Man’s voice.
Argen peeked around Nadol’s sturdy frame and saw That Man standing there.
He merely shifted his eyes to acknowledge Argen before shoving Nadol aside.
“Whoa—!”
Nadol staggered from the brute force and finally crashed loudly into the hallway floor.
Regardless, Valen’s gaze remained fixed solely on Argen.
“What are you doing working this late every single time?” His voice, tossed out casually like an afterthought, carried a strangely mixed note of dissatisfaction.
It was a faint emotion impossible to detect unless one listened closely to Valen’s words.
“It shouldn’t be that late for you.”
Argen turned her head at the groaning sound beside her.
As she moved a step to help Nadol up, a firm arm wrapped around Argen’s waist.
“Living in the demon realm, I find myself wanting to crawl under the covers and sleep as soon as 9 PM hits.
I never used to fall asleep this early, even when I was young.” Valen said, tucking Argen’s messy hair behind her ear.
At that moment, Finn slipped his arm between the two of them.
“I knew it!
Argen, look at that guy’s face.
He looks like he never listened to a word Mom and Dad said.”
“It’s not nice to make fun of someone’s face.”
While Finn sulked after getting scolded, Valen gently picked up Argen.
She relaxed her body as if she knew no resistance.
“Hey, hey!
Where are you taking Argen?”
“None of your business.”
“Last time too, you took Lady Argen out at the crack of dawn…” Finn couldn’t continue, her face flushing red.
Valen, looking mischievous, pulled up the corners of his mouth.
“Why?
Go on, say it.”
Sensing arguing with Valen would only make him more frustrated, Finn shifted his focus and tried to persuade Argen.
“Lord Argen.
Doesn’t it give you the creeps being touched by that guy?
I can feel the filth radiating off him.
When we carry or lift you, it’s out of concern for your precious feet, but he’s different.
Just look up at him now.
His eyes aren’t just shifty—they’re downright dirty!”
Argen tilted her head back slightly.
When their eyes met, No Name merely raised his eyebrows in confusion.
Seeing his expression, Finn grabbed the back of his neck.
Regardless of what Finn shouted, Valen whispered in a low voice.
“Don’t listen to that guy.”
“But how can I ignore someone who’s like family?”
“It’s not like you’re actually related by blood.”
This made Finn flare up and shout.
“You’re not blood related either, you bastard!”
“All the other fluids are mixed to death.” Valen murmured softly, ensuring only Argen could hear.
Argen’s cheeks began to burn hot with understanding.
Valen smiled with satisfaction, then turned his back completely and strode briskly down the long corridor.
“Huh, ugh, ah…!”
Argen regretted it too late.
She should have listened to the Elders after all.