"Agh..."
Sylvia, tied up in an apron while prepping ingredients in the kitchen, let out a soft hiss as she gently massaged her lower back.
It had been twelve system hours since Acheron had returned to her side.
Going by the Luofu's time, it was probably already the early hours of the next morning by now.
Right now, Sylvia was wearing shorts that barely hugged her bottom and a cropped top that left her midriff bare.
If you looked at her from the front, it almost seemed like she had nothing on under the apron.
Acheron, standing nearby, was dressed much the same.
After all, it was just the two of them in the house.
Even someone like Acheron didn't keep up her usual guarded exterior all the time.
Sylvia had even used a hairpin to push back the bangs that usually covered her eyes.
Revealing her beautiful, striking eyes.
Maybe she'd heard Sylvia moving around.
Acheron's hands never stopped working, but her gaze drifted over to Sylvia.
A faint smile played on her usually expressionless face.
From Acheron's angle, she could see, beneath Sylvia's tied-up hair, a faint bite mark lingering on her nape.
Along with traces of residual Nihility.
That was the mark Acheron had left on Sylvia.
Naturally, the lingering aura of Robin had been swallowed by the Nihility, vanishing without a trace.
"Still hurts?"
"...What do you think?"
Sylvia shot Acheron a look.
This woman didn't just bite; she had to use her Path's power too.
And she wouldn't let Sylvia actively dispel it, either.
She just had to let her own Permanence within fight it off naturally.
The result was that wisp of Nihility clinging to her shoulder for the better part of the day.
"Next time, use your words, alright? No need to resort to biting. It's not like you're a dog..."
Sylvia sighed softly, grumbling at Acheron.
"I'll... try my best?"
"Don't use a questioning tone at a time like this."
"..."
Hearing Sylvia's firm demand, Acheron fell silent, smiled, and looked away, pretending she hadn't heard a thing.
Which made Sylvia reach out and swat her on the rear.
Smack—
A crisp sound echoed in the kitchen.
Acheron's body gave a little jolt, her cheeks flushing slightly. She slanted a glance at Sylvia, but stubbornly kept up the act, pretending not to hear.
"Still pretending?"
Sylvia huffed, glaring at Acheron, who remained unfazed.
Then a thought struck her, and a mischievous grin spread across her face.
Putting down the kitchen utensils, she closed the distance in two steps and stood right behind Acheron.
Boldly, her small hands landed on Acheron's exposed waist.
"..."
Acheron stayed silent, but her body gave an involuntary shiver.
Sylvia could even feel the muscles around her waist tense up.
"Still can't hear me?"
Seeing that Acheron still wouldn't admit it, even after being touched, Sylvia grew bolder!
Her fingers nimbly slipped past the apron, venturing underneath to gently caress the skin there.
Her fingertips occasionally traced over her taut stomach, and her navel.
Her palm slid down, easily brushing against the waistband of her shorts. A little higher, and she touched the hem of her top.
Her index and pinky fingers would occasionally dip just beneath the waistband, slyly hooking onto the edge of her clothes.
"..."
Acheron's trembling grew more pronounced.
Sylvia tilted her head slightly and could see the tips of her ears burning red.
Yet even then, Acheron remained silent, stubbornly refusing to back down.
Seeing this, Sylvia knew she had to up the ante!
This time, she pressed her own body flush against Acheron's back.
Giving her arms a wider range of motion.
And finally, her fingers hooked under the hems of both her shorts and top, letting them slide smoothly inside.
"Mn... stop..."
A sound so faint Sylvia almost missed it slipped from Acheron's lips.
She had already put down whatever was in her hands.
Her fists were clenched, braced against the counter, as if she was enduring Sylvia's actions, her body trembling nonstop.
Sylvia, pressed tightly against her back, wore a triumphant grin.
Guess the massage skills really come in handy, huh.
"Mm~ Can't hear you. Did you say something, Mei?"
"Mn..."
For the first time, Acheron felt the true meaning of 'reaping what you sow.'
"...We're... we're still cooking..."
"Oh my, are you telling me to keep going?"
"..."
Acheron fell silent.
She realized Sylvia was doing this on purpose now.
Using the same avoidance tactic she'd just employed to tease her right back.
Imagining the smug, 'see-I-got-you' look that must be on Sylvia's face right now...
Acheron felt a distinct urge to turn the tables.
And she acted on it.
Suddenly, Acheron grabbed Sylvia's arm and yanked.
Sylvia was pulled from behind her to in front of her, her apron flapping loose.
They were now face to face.
Acheron, hands braced on the counter, had Sylvia trapped in her embrace.
"..."
Acheron dipped her head slightly, pressing her forehead against Sylvia's.
With those big, pleading eyes of hers, she silently stared Sylvia down.
But Sylvia wasn't about to give up that easily.
She shot Acheron a sultry smile.
And her hands disappeared once more beneath Acheron's clothes.
"Mn..."
A blush crept up Acheron's neck.
Even though she had Sylvia trapped in her arms, she was at a disadvantage and couldn't immediately find an opening to strike back.
All she could do was bury her face in the crook of Sylvia's neck, using her soft skin to muffle her own unsteady breaths.
--+--
This cozy cooking session stretched on much longer than anticipated.
Even though she was still pretty tired from the 'battle' twelve system hours prior, this time, Sylvia had not only initiated a counter-attack, but they were also in a space like the kitchen.
The novel thrill of it all gave her the stamina to keep going for quite a while.
Thankfully, in the end, no ingredients went to waste.
They were carefully packed up and stored by Acheron in her personal spatial dimension.
Once everything was done, Acheron lounged languidly on the sofa, arms wrapped around Sylvia, her head resting against her, dozing with her eyes closed.
Sylvia, meanwhile, was scrolling through her phone, checking if anything interesting had been happening on the Luofu lately.
As she scrolled, she came across forum posts discussing Aurum Alley's redevelopment plan.
People were saying that the old alleyways in that area were undergoing some sort of renovation and redevelopment, making it a lively spot these days.
There were also murmurs about the Luofu possibly being haunted lately.
Aurum Alley, huh.
So that probably meant Stelle was busy over there too, right?
She wondered how long the Aurum Alley project would last in real life.
Maybe she'd drop by for a visit when she had the time.
Authentic Luofu cuisine—a chance to try some.
As for the haunting thing...
She wondered if Huohuo had been working overtime lately.
In the game, there was a bit of a gap between these two event storylines.
But considering that in reality, the Luofu's reconstruction was probably happening concurrently, maybe these two events were actually pretty close together, timeline-wise.
After all, the Ten-Lords Commission's investigation into the Heliobi didn't really conflict with Aurum Alley's redevelopment.
Logically, the Ten-Lords Commission should already be looking into the Heliobi situation.
It might just be a while before Stelle gets involved.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.