The warm steam filled the bathroom, curling around them like a living veil. The soft patter of water was the only sound in the intimate silence. Mai tried to lock her gaze on Rimuru's golden eyes, desperately hiding the tremble that ran through her body. Her voice was barely more than a whisper, tinged with hope and fear:
"Rimuru… do you love me?"
Rimuru, standing under the cascading shower, water sliding over his sculpted shoulders, looked at her calmly and replied, almost teasingly:
"No."
Mai's heart dropped. For a moment, the world seemed to tilt. But before despair could take hold, Rimuru stepped closer, voice now teasingly provocative:
"If you want my love, then fight for it—just like you always do. You don't expect a heart like mine to be given freely, without a challenge, do you?"
Instead of crying, Mai felt a spark ignite in her eyes. His words hit her exactly where they needed to. Nothing that came easily was ever worth anything to her. Rimuru had transformed himself into a peak she had no choice but to climb.
A faint smile curved Rimuru's lips as he took her hand, pressing it firmly against his bare, pounding chest.
"But… even though I'm not in love with you yet, you're allowed to touch me. You can kiss me, feed me, do whatever you want. Right now… like this."
He leaned in, and this time, kissed her deeply, fully, leaving Mai breathless. When he pulled back, his voice dropped into a low whisper that dripped with possession:
"This body… is yours now, little star. Oh… and one thing I forgot to tell you: you're the first to ever kiss me. So remember it well… now that you're the first, there's no escaping. I won't let anyone take the one who claims my first from me."
Amidst the steam and water, Mai felt the chains of her past with Renako shatter completely. She had become the prey of a woman who, with open hands and fearless grace, offered his body to capture her soul.