Azel sighed as he sank deeper into the sofa in the living room.
The cushions were soft and the air was peaceful... almost too peaceful for someone whose day had involved a volcanic eruption and a necromancer skull being punted through the air.
It had been hours since they left Lycas, and the calm was starting to feel foreign.
Medusa slept soundly beside him on the long couch, her head resting on his left thigh.
Her breathing was completely relaxed. Her hair had grown even longer during her pregnancy, silky and cool under his fingers as he absently stroked it.
On his right thigh, curled in a shy ball, was Anya.
She wasn’t asleep... rather she was awake, stiff, and very aware of how close she was sitting to him.
Her hands were neatly folded over her lap and her face slightly turned away, but her cheeks were tinted a soft pink.
’This vacation... is nice but a bit boring,’ Azel thought, flipping through a small book with his free hand.
After everything he’d gone through recently... lounging quietly in a safe town felt a bit boring. ’I never expected I’d reach a point where I’d itch for a good fight...’
But that was exactly what was happening. His fingers twitched every few minutes, craving action.
Alvinus, meanwhile, was living in a new inn a short walk from this place... He needed to be close by to teach Lillia the next day after all.
Just as Azel turned another page, the doorbell rang sharply.
Ding.
... Then again.
Ding-ding.
Anya immediately straightened.
"I’ll get it," she said, quick to stand. Her hair shifted over her shoulders as she adjusted herself. "I... I really enjoyed staying on your lap, my prince."
"It’s free for you to use," Azel replied casually.
Her entire face flushed. She nearly tripped in her haste to flee the room.
The doorbell rang a third time before she reached the entrance. Anya opened the door and her eyes widened.
Standing outside was a dark-skinned woman in simple clothes. Her hair was messy, her expression tired, and beneath her eyes were dark circles.
Her figure, especially her chest drew immediate attention, but it wasn’t her body that made Anya tense.
It was her identity.
"Lori?" Anya whispered and rushed forward to hug her. "Hey, what’s wrong? You look exhausted..."
Lorraine leaned into the embrace only a bit but her voice was small. "I wanted to... see Az."
Anya nodded with full understanding.
All the girls in the house knew Lorraine or rather, knew the broken state she had been found in. After the Academy incident, Azel had brought her home drenched in trauma, unable to speak or stand, terrified of everyone and everything.
It took time... so much time to get her to even walk again.
She wasn’t fully healed, even now
But Azel was one of the last anchors she had.
"He’s in the living room," Anya said.
Lorraine moved past her with quick steps, as though afraid he might disappear if she took too long.
She entered the living room and instantly saw Azel sitting with Medusa sleeping peacefully on one lap.
Her chest tightened. A jealous, prickling heat curled inside her as she walked over and laid herself down on his right thigh, directly where Anya had been moments before.
She pointed at her hair. "My hair."
Azel chuckled, closing his book.
He reached up and began stroking her hair, running his fingers gently along her scalp before shifting to her forehead in soft circular motions.
"Hngh~" Lorraine released a breathy, vulnerable sound as her shoulders trembled. "Your hand feels amazing, Az..."
"How are you feeling, Lori?" Azel asked, ignoring the noises she was making.
She wasn’t doing it on purpose... after the trauma, she had become extremely sensitive around him in strange ways. "Do you feel better?"
"Yes." She looked up at him with eyes that held too much emotion. "Now that I’m with you."
And he believed it. She clung to him in a way that wasn’t entirely healthy but not entirely her fault either.
Nari’s betrayal had fractured her sense of safety. The only people she trusted now were her father, the girls... and Azel.
"How was your check-up?" he asked.
She was required to go to the Capital once a week for a full three-day examination.
Healing magic, psychological evaluations, exposure training... everything the Empire could offer to help stabilize her.
"It was fine. I did very good," she said, cheeks coloring. "Reward me."
Azel arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because the last report I got said you stabbed your caretaker in the eye."
Lorraine went stiff.
"He was trying to trap me," she muttered quickly. "I didn’t do it because I wanted to..."
Azel sighed softly. She was emotional, frightened, unstable but not malicious. And definitely not beyond help.
"Alright," he said gently. He brushed his hand through her hair again.
She suddenly rose, sitting upright and brought her face very close to his. "Since I came back... give me the reward I want."
Azel tilted his head. "And what do you want?"
She puckered her lips, red as cherries. "A kiss... please kiss me."
He wrapped a hand around her waist and leaned in.
Their lips touched and Lorraine’s entire body shivered like a struck harp string.
She pulled back quickly, her face completely red.
"Hehe... look at her face," Medusa groaned in amusement as she stirred awake. She blinked up, then tried to sit.
Azel helped her adjust because her stomach was big now.
"She looks cute."
Lorraine turned away, completely embarrassed.
Just then the door from the kitchen opened, and Edna walked into the room, effortlessly breastfeeding Isolde with one arm while holding a letter with the other.
"Oh? Everyone’s here," she said with a bright smile. "Then how about we all have a good lunch? I was thinking something warm today."
She leaned down and kissed Azel lightly before handing him a sealed letter. "A new message arrived before you got home. You might be very busy."
Azel glanced at the crest and recognized it instantly... the Capital.
Another royal summon.
’Another meeting?’ he thought with dread as he broke the seal and read through the contents.
His entire expression sagged.
’Well... I was the one who asked for action, so I can’t complain now.’
He folded the letter, rubbing his forehead.
"...I hate my big mouth," he muttered under his breath.