There was something that kept coming to my mind lately.

You know, it felt like I was actually someone who’d fall into a trap more easily than I thought.

The situation occurring right at this moment seemed to prove that feeling.

“...Eleanor.”

I said, trying hard to somehow stop my cheeks from trembling.

“What?”

“I thought you were inviting me to eat together?”

Honestly, when she asked me to eat together with just the two of us, I already had a premonition.

I mean, why would you invite someone…

To a meal in the bedroom…?

She even locked the door to the bedroom…

“I did.”

“...”

That answer came from above me.

To be more exact…

It was from Eleanor, who was using both her arms and legs to press me down on the bed.

As soon as we entered her room, under the pretense of eating together inside, she immediately locked the door, threw me to her bed and did this.

“Is there anything weird?”

“...”

Everything was.

“...What's with your clothes…?”

I had been barely able to stop my cheeks from trembling, but I could feel that my control over it had loosened up when I saw her wearing only black underwear.

It felt like I was facing a predator who was about to eat its prey.

I had been preparing myself for this situation ever since I entered the Duchy’s Territory, but now that I actually got into the situation, it felt like my entire world was spinning.

“Dowd.”

At that moment…

Eleanor’s voice, mixed with a steamy sigh, lingered in my head.

Her hot breath touched the rim of my ear. I felt a very hot sensation on the parts where our bodies came into contact with each other. As if lumps of fire were flowing through her blood vessels, I could feel her body temperature rise like crazy.

“Did you really think that I’d call you to come all the way here if I only wanted to eat together with you?”

“...Wait, Eleanor.”

Before I could say anything else, an indescribable stimulating sensation swept over me.

I blinked a few times.

Ah.

This is that, isn’t it?

Eleanor held me tight between her breasts.

She buried my forehead between her ample mounds. Her hot body temperature was transmitted to my whole face, as if wrapping it.

“...”

Before my brain could fully register that this situation was one of the most apolaustic luxuries a man could enjoy, the satisfaction and warmth that made my whole body unknowingly relaxed filled up my mind, clinging onto it tightly.

When I took a breath in from the surprise, her body odor also followed suit, entering my nasal cavity.

The intensity of her scent melted my mind.

“...Good boy.”

The next thing she did was gently stroking the back of my head, as if she was taking care of a child.

My reason and logic that was slowly drifting far away was screaming at me, telling me that I had to run away now, even if that meant I had to fight her physically because the thing that was going to happen next would be very dangerous. And I completely agree with that call,

But, when I tried to twist my body with all my might, in this terrifying Lady’s eyes, it was merely a tantrum of a child.

“Seriously, stay still.”

Eleanor put strength in her arms that were hugging me, making my body sink immediately.

As my face was buried around her breasts again, her cleavage came into my view again.

I wasn’t sure what it was, but the sight was suggestive enough to make my eyes bloodshot. I was slowly losing my ability to breathe. It wasn’t a good sign.

“Or—”

In that position, beyond my hazy consciousness.

I could hear Eleanor’s whisper.

“Do you want more?”

More?

What?

More of what?

More?

What?

“...Eleanor.”

I replied in a gasp.

And while I was in that state…

“...You don’t have to be so nervous.”

She whispered.

[“I’ll never hurt you.”]

“...?”

Suddenly.

I forced myself to open my tightly closed eyes at the weird sensation.

Just now…

There was ‘something different’ mixed in Eleanor’s voice.

“...”

In that instant, my mind cleared up.

…What?

The hazy sensation I had been feeling until just now disappeared as if it was forcefully ‘deleted’ by something.

As I tried to rack my brain, Eleanor distanced her body slightly away from mine.

“You.”

Compared to earlier, her voice had gotten more clear.

“You’ve been having a hard time lately, haven’t you?”

“...”

When I looked up at her, my eyes instantly widened.

She stroked my cheek slowly. Instead of lust or sexual desire, her smile felt almost motherly.

“...”

Earlier, did she have this kind of smile?

Maybe she has been looking at me with those eyes all along and I was just mistaken?

In any case, she didn’t seem to be herself at all, to the point that I couldn’t help but wonder.

Just look at her now, she didn’t even seem to be aware that something else had gotten ‘involved’.

“If I’d just do whatever I want with you here, that’ll put you in a difficult position, right?”

She couldn’t be any more correct.

But, didn’t she invite me here with that kind of intention in the first place?

I thought while blinking my eyes.

“It’s obvious that you…are wary of people crossing that ‘line’ with you. Do you really think I would be so tactless?”

Eleanor let out another chuckle as she pressed my nose gently.

“I’ll respect your wish, so… Let’s put the matter of pleasure aside for a little while.”

She said before holding her hand out before my eyes.

On it, there was a ring.

The same ring she had given me in the past as an engagement token, the same ring I had on my finger.

She then carefully wrapped my hand so that the rings touched each other.

“Let’s postpone it until the day these rings prove their value arrive, shall we?”

She asked while smiling. I couldn’t answer her. Instead, I only looked up at her blankly.

“... However.”

She continued before hugging me tightly again.

This time, it wasn’t a violent hug like when she buried my face in her cleavage earlier.

Instead, she buried her face in mine—a way more innocent hug than before.

“Let me do this much. Since this is an essential process for me.”

“...Essential?”

“I am replenishing my Dowd element.”

“Pardon?”

“Nowadays, I can’t live without this.”

She replied seriously soon after without any hint that she was joking at all.

Seeing that, I unknowingly laughed uncontrollably.

This was the usual Eleanor that I knew, the woman who’d say these things casually without a change in her expression.

…I don't know.

While I had no idea what exactly had just happened…

For now, I decided to play along.

“...Make sure to take a lot of it then.”

I said while hugging her back.

Or rather, tried to hug her back.

Before I could actually hug her, she slapped my hand away.

“Eleanor?”

“...Do not do that.”

Hearing her mumbling those words, I looked at her, blinking my eyes a few times.

“I am embarrassed.”

“...”

You were literally trying to pounce on me like a predator just now.

What are you even saying after doing all that?

“My embarrassment is one thing.”

“...”

“I can hug you, but do not hug me. Because I still don't have that much resistance.”

“...So, why is it okay for you to hug me?”

“Because I am the one who attacks and I am not familiar with being attacked.”

“...”

“If you understand, just stay still in my arms. You’re so warm…it feels nice…”

I knew it.

Sometimes, I just couldn’t understand women’s feelings.

●

“...Good evening, Dowd.”

“You too, Eleanor.”

As soon as Dowd left the room, leaving such a greeting after they cuddled for a while, Eleanor furrowed her brows.

To be exact, she looked depressed.

“...Haa…”

She let out a deep sigh before facepalming herself a few times.

Because of the dim lighting of the room, Dowd didn’t catch it…

But, throughout their interaction until now, she was blushing like crazy to the tip of her ears.

“...That fool…”

She muttered.

“He really didn't do it because I told him not to. Tactless…”

She told the truth, she really was embarrassed.

Rather, she was downplaying it, since she was extremely embarrassed.

But she still took the risk and went for it.

That was why she prepared racy underwear—even though it was out of character for her—and set the mood properly.

She had done things that only loose women would do one after another so he could just man up and do it with her, and yet…!

Even though she would accept anything that he would do to her, yet…!

“...Haa…”

But, the sad thing about all this was…

There was a high chance that next time it would still be her who’d be begging him to ‘do it’, just like what she had done just now.

“...Then again, it’s my fault for falling for him in the first place. It can’t be helped…”

Eventually, people would dig up a well to satiate their thirst.

It was the same with Eleanor, as this was the fate she couldn’t escape from since she had fallen for such a man.

…However.

That man’s attitude aside.

She was not happy with herself.

…This is way too different from your first resolution, Eleanor…

Even though she meant what she said when she told him that she wouldn’t push him to his limits if what she did made him uncomfortable…

But…

She was very… ‘thirsty’ for him.

In truth, she had been holding herself back so much.

She had invited him to his house like this, so…

It wouldn’t be strange if she were to squeeze him out, until he was dried out, until he cried while begging her to stop, then they could come up with a solution for the aftermath together.

She’d rather do all those instead of feeling embarrassed or holding herself back so that she wouldn’t trouble the man.

The depth of her affection towards that man ran even deeper than that.

And it had gotten even stronger lately—sometimes, she would feel the area under her belly getting hot just by hearing his voice.

Yet…

At the last minute, she became weak-hearted.

And she ended up doing something completely different than what she first planned to do.

“...”

No matter how much she thought of it, she couldn’t find the answer why.

At that time, she only did it because she thought ‘it would be better’ and for no other reason.

“...It’s no use thinking about the past.”

In any case, the moment had passed, thinking about it wouldn’t change anything.

She concluded as such and looked down at her hand, letting out a bitter smile.

Her engagement ring with Dowd shone under the faint light.

…As long as I have this…

She wouldn’t need to worry too much.

After all, did they not promise each other to stay as the most precious person to each other?

That was why, all she needed to do was to wait patiently.

When she thought as such while fiddling with the ring contentedly…

A strange sensation suddenly soared inside her body.

To be exact, it soared from near her heart.

“...!”

Eleanor's eyes widened as she jumped out of her seat.

…Just now…?

Something…

Something big was happening inside her body.

It didn’t take long for her to notice the source of that feeling she had just felt.

“...It's not there?”

She could not feel the ‘Gray Aura’ that she had always felt near her heart.

It was as if…

It had ‘gotten out’ of her body by itself.

●

“...Haa…”

As soon as I lay down on the bed, Caliban’s disappointed voice immediately rang out of the Soul Linker.

[...That was nothing big, no?]

“...”

What do you mean that was nothing big?

I swear, this Mister just became more and more extreme these days.

…No, it wasn’t.

Hell no, it was quite a big deal for me.

Something else definitely interrupted us.

That, I was sure.

If it wasn’t for that ‘thing’, Eleanor would’ve…

Um… What was the word for it…?

Squeezed me out?

Without mercy, without stopping until I was wrung dry.

…Anyway, what was that?

I recalled Eleanor earlier while scratching my head.

Honestly, there was only one being that could involve itself in that way.

But, ‘why’ would that punk do it was the question here…

…Seriously, I don't get it.

As I thought so, letting out a sigh, I suddenly realized something strange.

…Caliban?

He hadn’t been responding to me.

Thinking that he was pranking me again, I furrowed my brows before looking down at the Soul Linker.

Or rather, I was about to look at it.

“...?”

My body…

Refused to budge.

No, it wasn’t just my body, it was as if…

Including me…

The ‘entire world’ was frozen.

…Ah.

And…

As soon as I realized that,

A window popped up before my eyes.

System Mesage

[ The presence of target ‘C̵̡̹̖̙̭͖̈́͐¾̸̧̥̬͈͇̹̘͕̠̮̩̙̎ð̸̞͖̋¾̶͕̻́̊̇î̸̙̪͎̥͎͍̲͔̔̈́̀̃͗́̚̚͠͠͝͠ ̵̨̛̠̟̲͔̟̔̍͛̈́°̶̨̙̠͆͋̔͛̒̀̾̆̉̏̕³̶̟̝̙͔̥̖̯̠̒̈̋̃̇̾̃̽̆̅͊͆̋̋ can be felt’! ]

[ ‘Fallen’s Seal’ reacts! ]

Following that window’s appearance…

In the air near the ceiling…

[Hel¾ú´ Áö´lo]

The ‘Punk’ appeared, gently coming down as she greeted me.

[Long timeÁ¦ ÇÏ¿¡no see.]

It was the Gray Devil.

This punk who had appeared suddenly, gently landed on my body.

Then, she pressed her weight on my body that I couldn’t move.

This was for sure…

The same position that Eleanor was in before she was about to pounce on me earlier.

…Uh?

And since we were in that kind of position, I could feel one thing for sure.

Her ‘sensation’.

As if this punk possessed the body of a human. We could touch, sense, and feel each other’s presence physically.

And at the sight of me being surprised at this fact, the Gray Devil let out a chuckle as she looked down at me.

[YeahÁ¦. NowÇÏ¿¡Áyou can touch¦ ÇÏ¿ me, right?]

She then continued with a smile.

[It’s becauseÏ¿¡Áthe SealÏ¿¡Áhas evolved. BecauseÏ¿¡Áyou’ve gotten a little closerÏ¿¡Áto us.]

“...”

[I’ve beenUC¾ð¾î° waiting. Until UC¾ð¾î°we UC¾ð¾î can touch UC¾ð¾î°each other like this.]

“...”

Suddenly.

I could feel the chill running down my spine.

Though I didn’t know the details…

And I hadn’t asked ‘why had she waited’...

I could already tell that this situation was greatly dangerous for me.

“...Hey.”

I managed to forcefully say that by barely moving my lips, my voice trembled.

While I couldn’t move my body, I could do this much.

“What did you do to Eleanor and me earlier?”

According to common sense…

Back then, there was no other being than this punk who could ‘do something’ to both Eleanor and me at the same time.

But, I didn’t know why would she even do that.

[...]

Then…

After hearing what I said, the Gray Devil smile grew a little bigger.

And…

[EvenÁ¦ ÇÏ¿¡a cup of water.]

She gave me a clear answer.

[HasÁ¦ ÇÏ¿¡to be Á¦ ÇÏ¿¡served in order. This¦ ÇÏ¿applies to her¦ ÇÏ¿too.]

“...What?”

[For everythingÏ¿related¡Áto you, I haveÏ¿¡to be theÁÏ¿ first one to do it.]

“...”

At that moment, my ominous premonition came into reality.

Now that I think about it, the answer was simple.

If she had waited until this point—when we could touch each other—and she went out of her way to interrupt me when I was about to sleep with another woman…

Then, considering how possessive shel was, there was one simple reason why she did all that.

“...”

Because she wanted to be the first one to devour me.

Fuck.

[You’ve beenÏ¿¡Álucky so far.]

Seeing her, I realized it intuitively.

[But you’llÏ¿¡Ánever.]

After this…

This punk would…

[Run awauÏ¿¡Áfrom me.]

Devour me.