Under her sparkling eyes, the redhead twirled the fork and impaled the tower of pancakes before tearing a small portion and stuffing it into her mouth.
"Mumhn~!"
Runeas' eyes widened as an explosion of flavors erupted in her mouth. The texture was just perfectly cooked. She never knew pancakes could be this delicious.
On top of that, Runeas suddenly felt reinvigorated, and her stiff body began to relax.
"Husband, just how did you make this!? Not even the chefs in Gremory state could make it as delicious as you do!" Runeas spoke with newfound enthusiasm.
Gremory was one of the dukes of hell, therefore it must maintain an image and reputation worthy of the nobility, as such, ensuring a high quality food not only during banquets but everyday life was a must, so hiring professional chefs of renown was must.
And yet, despite having tasted centuries' worth of cuisine, Runeas was never this satisfied with a single meal. It made her think: 'If mere pancakes could make me feel like this, then what about a proper dish?'
'Does love really make food this delicious?' Runeas pondered, swinging her legs in excitement like a kid. She looked over to see her husband's face, and her heart skipped a beat upon seeing the tender smile there.
She recognized that look.
It was the kind of 'I am happy that my partner is enjoying my work'.
Runeas knew that because she just had the same expression this morning—— right after Ashern throat fucked her when he went to wake her up, and the look of pleasure and satisfaction after she drank his cum made her climax as well. Runeas was sure back then she shared the exact smile as Ashern's one now… just more perverted.
'Ah crap, I'm getting turned on…' Runeas thought, but had to stop herself as she had other plans for the day. '...I'll have to wait for tonight.'
Meanwhile, Ashern, unaware of his wife's impure thoughts, was relieved and happy that she was enjoying the meal, which filled his heart with warmth.
"I am glad you like it, honey. It's a technique I've developed recently." Ashern explained as a way to integrate the gacha rewards into his daily life. "If you want, I could cook everyday for you."
At his suggestion, Runeas didn't hesitate——she nodded vigorously, causing her chest to bounce up and down.
As a gentleman and a husband, Ashern quietly enjoyed the sight and curious about Runeas' reaction, he picked the fork and decided to taste his own creation.
Ashern froze.
For a moment, Ashern didn't move a muscle like a statue, astonished by the pancakes in front of him.
'Holy fuck, did I really make this?' He chewed slowly, savoring its rich flavor. His already decent cooking skills elevated to the realm of the supernatural and it wouldn't stop there! It was hard to believe it was made from ingredients found in the market.
'Is gacha heaven or hell?' Ashern pondered as he recalled what he got from the system.
Ω
[Pearl Jam (JoJo)]
Type: Skill
Description: These tomato and pearl onion-shaped Stands once belonged to Tonio Trussardi are now yours to use freely. Its ability "Curative Cooking" brings out and amplifies all benefits of food, making it possible to cure any illness given the right ingredients. Your cooking skill will naturally improve to a supernatural level upon acquiring this stand.
Note: This Stand is purely support and has zero combat capabilities.
[Trimmau (Nasuverse)]
Type: Item
Description: A mystic code reworked into a maid golem by Reines El-Melloi Archisorte and Lord El-Melloi II. She possesses many abilities, allowing her to perform her duties as a maid, a bodyguard, a tracker, a computer machine, a sex doll, among others, earning her the nickname of Mercury Maid. Upon accepting, you will receive the full operational and maintenance knowledge.
Note: Due to an "uncorrectable bug", Trimmau refers to herself as a golem made by futuristic science (magecraft) due to influence of a certain movie, consequently she will occasionally quote lines from movies.
[Cube of Tungsten]
Type: Item
Description: A 10x10x10 dm³ cube made of pure tungsten. Note: Despite its appearances, this item is surprisingly aerodynamic.
Ω
Honestly, Ashern was only expecting trash like any other gacha, but he unexpectedly got good rolls.
While he didn't know what to do with the cube, Ashern felt like he struck gold with Trimmau and Pearl Jam.
Trimmau had appeared inside a test tube that was enchanted with weight reduction and internal size expansion to contain 140 kg of mercury, which Ashern had set aside and stored it in his pocket for now.
As for Pearl Jam, it was the cause that made Ashern's food so delicious, because aside from "Curative Cooking" ability, the Stand would passively strengthen his 'cook's instincts' otherwise commonly known as 'feeling'.
For example, just when Ashern was making the pancakes, his body would instinctively know how much flour or sugar was needed without using a scale or the timing to flip the pancake just by seeing its color, smell, etc.
It was like a Spider Sense for cooking.
Having the right amount of ingredients, cooked in the perfect way and taste boosted by "Curative Cooking", the pancakes were not only extremely healthy but also had heavenly taste.
'If I were to serve my food in the Shokugeki universe, I would no doubt turn a cooking competition into a nude show with people stuck in hallucinations.'
Ashern closed his eyes briefly as his body relaxed and his mind felt at ease. The last time he felt like this was when he took an ice bath after a long session in the sauna during Christmas holidays.
The dining room turned silent, but it wasn't awkward as both of them were focused on savoring the meal.
"I am full…" Ashern said and let out a satisfied sigh. "Runeas, do you have any plans for today? If not, wanna go on a date? We could also buy wedding rings for both of us."
"A date sounds fun! But…" Runeas sounded excited at first, before trailing off with a pensive look on her face until she was hit with sudden realization. "How about this? We could have our date in the Underworld and I could introduce you to my descendants!"
"As for wedding rings, we could take a pair from the treasury vault or commission someone to make a pair, I know a master craftsman who owes me a favor. What do you think?"
"That sounds wonderful, I am curious about the Underworld too." Ashern eagerly accepted the suggestion, for him it was like visiting another country with better 'technology' (in this case magic). However, hearing that she would introduce him to her side of the family still made him quite nervous. "But me being human won't cause troubles, right?"
"Hahaha of course not, silly. In fact, I am sure they will welcome you." Runeas chuckled. "Well, little Zeo might make a fuss because it might cause him some headache due to devil politics and all that, but I honestly don't care about it at all." Runeas waved her hand to show that she dismissed the idea.
"Still, if anyone tries anything to you, you can trust me. I will teach them a lesson so their entire bloodline will never forget!" Runeas said as she comically flexed her non-developed biceps, causing Ashern to burst out laughing and feel at ease. "Then what about you? When do you plan to introduce me to your family?"
"Well, I don't have any family besides you." Ashern said as he set down the fork on the plate and glanced at the golden ring on his finger. "I was raised in an orphanage since I was a baby and have never met my parents, the only thing they left behind was my name and this ring."
"I see." Runeas said with a voice not filled with pity but understanding. She thought that Ashern might feel uncomfortable if he were to be pitied.
So instead, Runeas stood up, walked behind Ashern and wrapped his head between her breasts.
"Here is your favorite pair of boobs." Runeas said and pressured them slightly with her elbows while petting his head.
"Honey, what are you doing?" Ashern asked in confusion, but enjoying the 'massage' nonetheless. 'I could die happy like this.'
"Cheering you up, why? Do you dislike it?"
"Nah, I am loving it." Ashern replied with zero hesitation, making her giggle. While he was having a therapeutic session by listening to her heartbeat, she began poking his puffed up cheek with her free hand.
Still, Ashern couldn't help but feel like Runeas may have misunderstood something.
'Did she think I was sad about being an orphan?' Ashern wondered.
He wouldn't deny that there were moments of loneliness during the time he set the self-imposed isolation, but they were fleeting. His fascination for magic and now Runeas, had already filled that void. 'Still, the way Runeas is trying to comfort me is quite adorable.'
They stayed like this for a while before parting to prepare to meet her family. Ashern returned to the bedroom to change clothes with Runeas happily following behind him.
Ashern opened the wardrobe and picked some casual clothes, but Runeas Gremory, the self proclaimed fashion judge, rejected his choices while shaking her head in disappointment. Still, she found his lack of fashion cute and how he was trying to justify it.
In the end, Runeas handed him an outfit she had personally chosen from his closet, ironed it with a little bit of magic and handed him to change. Then under her predatory gaze, Ashern changed his clothes while ignoring the sound of someone licking their lips.
"Darling, you look so handsome, I just want to eat you up~♡!" Runeas purred after wiping her mouth with her hand.
Then she returned the favor by stripping down in front of him and conjured an elegant black dress that moderately accentuated her curves. She deliberately exaggerated her movements after feeling his gaze wandering around her body, which she found quite exciting.
"You look amazing too, honey." Ashern said and suddenly remembered something from when they met, so he held himself back from laughing and decided to tease her. He leaned and whispered to her ear. "You look so fertile, Runeas. Very breedable right now."
His breath caused her ears to twitch and redden while her body was trembling in excitement, but she used every bit of her willpower to hold back.
'I can't. Not yet. We still need to meet with them…' Runeas' thoughts stopped when she saw Ashern unbuttoning his shirt and loosening pants just enough to show a little bit of skin and muscle. Then he laid on the bed and gestured to her to come while winking at her seductively.
In her mind, the part of her responsible for reasoning and cold judgement was being mercilessly beaten by the other part that governs instincts and emotions who was holding a wooden club until the former waved the white flag of surrender.
With her restraints tattered in pieces, Runeas jumped on him like a wild beast in heat and Ashern's reaction was to flare his Touki.
And then, they fucked, the end.
Narrator: Seggs!
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By the time they finished, it was nearly time to meet her family.
"That was close." Runeas sighed in relief, wiping sweat off her forehead. "I wonder whose fault it is."
"I'd say both of us." Ashern replied with a teasing smile.
"Hmm, I can't deny that." Runeas chuckled. Then she casted cleansing spells to get rid of any stains and fixed their clothes while Ashern applied perfume on both of them.
"Alright, let's go." Runeas said, holding Ashern's hand, and teleported them to the Underworld, at the entrance of Gremory mansion, where they were greeted by servants bowing in unison.
"Good morning esteemed Ancestor and guest. Everyone is already waiting in the living room." An old butler greeted them.
He offered to accompany them inside, but by the time he realized, he was talking to empty air as they had already gone inside.
Sighing, the butler took a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his prized monocle, before putting it back on his right eye.
"She never changes." He muttered in amusement before returning to the mansion with his juniors.
Meanwhile, Ashern and Runeas walked through the hallways like a couple touring an exhibition. Runeas showed him a few antiques and explained the backstories of a few paintings and Ashern listened attentively.
Once they reached an empty corridor, Ashern spoke something that was on his mind.
"Honey, I need a favor from you."
"Tsk tsk tsk." Runeas shook her head while wagging her index finger. "There are no favors and debts between husband and wife, my dear Ashern. I don't want us to have a give and take relationship, but a give and give where both of us help each other. Don't you agree with my vision of marriage, Ashern?"
Her tone was playful, but Ashern could feel her sincerity through the bond shared between them and honestly, even he couldn't help but agree on her ideal of a perfect marriage.
"I do." Ashern agreed, patting her head. "I think your ideal is beautiful."
"He~ he~ he~." Runeas giggled happily under his touch.
"So, honey, can you help me with something?"
"Yes, what do you need help with, darling~?"
"I plan to form wizard contracts with devils from other Pillars, like the one we did." Ashern explained. "I don't know if it's because I am his successor or this ring, but apparently I can get stronger and gain new abilities with each contract with a powerful devil. So I wanted your help with your connections to other noble houses for a meeting if possible."
"Following your ancestor's footsteps?" Runeas asked as she looked him in the eyes. There was no judgment, but Runeas would be slightly disappointed if Ashern was kind of chasing after their ancestor's honor.
"That's not exactly wrong, but nor right either." Ashern replied as his eyes was filled with conviction. "While I won't deny that I will follow his footsteps, I want to walk out of his shadow and forge my own path."
Runeas hummed, feeling so proud of her husband that she couldn't stop smiling.
"You asked the right person, darling!" Runeas linked their arms and gave him a peck on his cheek. "Leave it to me!"
'Oh my dear Ashern, you just handed me the first step of the harem plan hehehehe~!'
"Thank you, honey." Ashern smiled and returned the kiss, pressing briefly his lips on her forehead.
'I might as well gather Solomon's rings and gift them later, I know some of their locations. I'll need to pull some strings for it though.' Runeas thought, completely captivated. 'Still, his smile is worth all the trouble.'
As they neared the living room, Runeas suddenly got an idea and smiled mischievously. She broke their arm link and wrapped her arms around him as if she was preventing him from escaping. Ashern noticed that and felt that she was up to something.
Unknown to him, Runeas was intentionally going around the mansion all this time, not only to show her husband around, but also to keep her descendants on edge.
She stretched out her hand and a magic circle appeared, invoking a controlled gale that launched to others.
"Wait–!"
*Boom!*
"Muwahaha~! Your cute and beautiful grandma is back!"
______________
A/N: I will refer to Trimmau as a 'she' even though she isn't a living being or has a gender, but since she is a maid and has the appearance of a woman, I think it's only appropriate to do so.
My discord server: discord.gg/kpBysTathu