From just before six in the morning until eight AM—over two full hours—the hotel suite in Itogami Island's city center that Venelana had designated as her long-term safe house finally quieted down.
By now, sunlight filtering through the curtains into the room had begun growing harsh, falling on the wooden floor before the window to form a hazy rectangular patch of brightness.
On the bed, Bokue supported the beautiful lady's soft waist from behind, breathing in the fragrant scent wafting from her hair.
"Mm~"
As if just awakening from sleep, Venelana—who'd been lying quietly on her side under the covers—suddenly stirred. She slowly shifted, turning bit by bit until she faced him, extending pale arms to actively embrace the young man's neck.
Their four eyes met. The beautiful lady initiated a light kiss like a dragonfly touching water.
"Really... though we agreed on meeting this morning, I didn't expect you'd arrive so early, Bokue. And then you also... hehehe~"
Without finishing her words completely, Venelana couldn't help but laugh softly.
Though verbally seeming to complain, her tone and expression clearly showed great satisfaction with the young man's actions.
After all, such thoughtful "morning service" wasn't something just anyone could enjoy.
And maybe even Rias hadn't experienced this?
Thinking to this point, Venelana's mood couldn't help but soar several notches higher.
Bokue didn't mind, simply tightening his hand at the beautiful lady's waist slightly.
"But mother-in-law, you're the one who told me to come early. Plus today I need to bring Rias and the others to the resort island all morning. If I stayed too late at your place, wouldn't we get discovered?"
"Mm~ getting discovered... well, you have a point there."
Completely unable to refute him, Venelana could only pout while muttering softly.
Bokue continued.
"Of course, the main thing is I still need to pick someone else up afterward. So the morning schedule is pretty tight—I could only come earlier."
"...There's another girl?"
"Yeah."
I see...
Though receiving affirmative response, Venelana wasn't particularly surprised.
After all, even she was in this situation... right? So however many other girls existed was perfectly normal.
"So is mother-in-law completely prepared to come clean with Rias this time?"
Bokue suddenly asked.
Eh?
Venelana froze slightly, blinking tentatively.
"Why do you say that? Could it be Rias already... knows?"
"Huh?"
Bokue also froze momentarily.
"No... Rias probably doesn't know yet. As far as I'm aware, she shouldn't know. It's just that since mother-in-law decided to come at this timing, wasn't the plan to... mm..."
Something about my understanding seems off.
But he'd said it clearly in yesterday's communication tablet message—this time everyone was going to the island vacation together, and without exception, everyone going had that kind of relationship.
Yet Venelana actively came forward requesting to join—didn't that basically announce everything openly?
"Oh, that's not quite it."
Instantly understanding the young man's thinking, Venelana first smiled gracefully, then closed her eyes with slight smugness, lifting her face while humming softly.
"Actually, mother-in-law has quite legitimate reasons for coming this time. Accurately speaking, I'm here under orders."
"Orders?"
"Mm-hmm~"
Venelana hummed mysteriously twice.
"Yesterday after dinner, Sirzechs suddenly called me, saying he had some matters he needed his mother to convey to you all on his behalf."
I see—that makes sense.
After all, given Venelana's position in the demon realm, people capable of ordering her around practically didn't exist.
But since it was her son's request, as long as it was reasonable, a mother definitely wouldn't refuse.
So essentially, she was using the excuse of handling her son's business to thoroughly indulge for two days in the human world?
"If that's the case, then no problem."
Bokue thought briefly.
"Then right now we'll shower first, then afterward I'll drop mother-in-law off at Keystone Gate to meet up with Rias and the others, then I'll—"
"Mm~ no need to go through all that trouble."
Before his words even finished, the beautiful lady beside his pillow smiled faintly while raising her index finger in negation.
'Hm?'
A question mark appeared above Bokue's head.
'Doesn't she have legitimate reasons already? Why still sneak around?'
However, Venelana shifted to another topic.
"By the way, speaking of which—yesterday you said the resort island had enough rooms, right?"
"Yeah, just finished expanding the seaside villa yesterday."
"Mm, a seaside villa... not the schoolhouse where Rias lives, correct?"
"Of course not—it's newly built. Though like the old schoolhouse, it's equipped with teleportation arrays that can freely transfer between Keystone Gate and the resort island."
Bokue didn't quite understand why Venelana would ask such questions.
"I see~"
The beautiful lady nodded again thoughtfully.
"Anyone living there currently?"
"There are people..."
Bokue answered honestly.
"Though not many. Currently aside from Serafall and Sona, there's only Yume..."
"In short, Rias doesn't live there, right?"
Completely ignoring other names, Venelana's eyes lit up as she cut straight to the heart of the matter.
'Rias?' Of course she didn't live there.
Bokue shook his head.
"Perfect!"
Having received the answer she wanted, Venelana seemed to shed several hundred years instantly, beaming like an eighteen-year-old girl.
"In that case, I have a bold idea~"
Speaking thus, the beautiful lady tightened her arms around the young man's neck, propping up her upper body slightly to bring her lips to his ear, softly revealing her plan.
"...Hm? Move the magic mirror to the villa?"
Having listened, Bokue reflexively glanced at the mirror placed against the wall beside the bed.
This thing had originally been in his apartment but never used once. Only after bringing it here did it gradually see use.
Yet now she wanted to bring it back to Keystone Gate?
Plus, hadn't Venelana said moving the mirror here was precisely for convenient affairs without Rias discovering?
But if bringing it back to Keystone Gate now, what difference would that make from when it was in his room?
"Well~ actually, I didn't explain the full reason back then."
Venelana's breath gently brushed the young man's ear.
"The reason I had you bring the mirror here originally was because Keystone Gate didn't have extra rooms. And keeping it in your apartment would definitely bother Kuroka—after all, what girl would want her exclusive love nest with her boyfriend to keep a VIP access point open to others?"
"But now it's different. Placing the mirror in the villa not only gives me a foothold at Keystone Gate but also doesn't occupy anyone else's space."
"Plus there's the most important thing..."
Reaching this point, Venelana paused briefly, playfully winking.
"When you're all having fun, if I suddenly appear, won't that give Rias a huge surprise?"
Bokue: "..."
Are you sure that's a surprise and not a shock?
"Oh right!"
Before the young man could speak again, the beautiful lady seemed to suddenly remember something, lightly patting her forehead.
"Do you have extra swimsuits? I just realized I don't have anything like that. Preparing one now might be cutting it close. Size-wise, I'm the same as Rias."
<><><><><>
~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)