Chapter 876: Bronya, Do You Know How to Raise a Child?
"Haa... Ren, y-you're really not human!"
Seele gasped, her chest heaving as glistening beads of sweat rolled down her flushed skin. She shot him a weak, half-hearted glare from the tangled bedsheets, her body thoroughly exhausted.
Ren merely chuckled, completely unbothered by the accusation. He reached out, gently brushing a damp strand of indigo hair from her cheek.
"Why say that?" he asked, his tone dripping with practiced innocence. "Was my renovation work not up to standard?"
It was a shameless defense. After all, Seele had been the one to invite him into her newly unfurnished house. Now she was complaining about the contractor.
Admittedly, Ren had made a few aggressive modifications to the property. The entryway, for instance, had originally been just wide enough for her to pass through. For a man of his stature, it was far too tight a squeeze. Since the two of them would be living together quite frequently from now on, getting stuck at the door simply wouldn't do. So, he took it upon himself to widen the frame, pushing past the initial resistance until he could enter and exit with smooth, frictionless ease.
Once inside, Ren discovered a glaring issue with the interior layout. If they were going to share this space, it needed to be accommodating. Yet, a stubborn, restrictive wall divided the room right down the middle. How could anyone live comfortably like that?
Fortunately, it wasn't a load-bearing wall. Ren didn't hesitate; he demolished it for her on the spot.
His rough, sudden construction work had earned him a sharp glare and a string of tearful, unintentional curses from Seele. It took a great deal of gentle coaxing and deep, rhythmic comforting before she finally relaxed into the sweeping changes.
His method of comfort was straightforward. He promised to personally decorate every inch of her new home. Every expansion of space, every strengthening of the foundation—he handled it all with his own two hands, working tirelessly, bit by bit, driving himself deep into the project. He wanted to fill every corner of Seele's room with his absolute presence.
It was a reason Seele couldn't argue with, leaving her thoroughly satisfied and floating in a haze of bliss.
The renovation process was incredibly time-consuming and physically demanding. Ren, however, never shied away from hard labor. Hours blurred together by the time the project reached its conclusion. The final result left them both breathless, the space now perfectly primed for them to live comfortably intertwined.
But to officially move in, Ren needed to fetch his luggage. Before stepping out, he made sure to leave behind countless, warm housewarming gifts deep inside Seele's new home.
Seele, sweet and accommodating as ever, couldn't bear to let him do all the heavy lifting alone. The moment he pulled away, she immediately returned the favor, flooding him with a generous outpouring of her own gifts. A perfect display of reciprocity.
However.
What Seele hadn't anticipated was Ren's terrifying recovery speed. He had stayed inside for hours, left for barely a second, and returned before she could even catch her breath. In the blink of an eye, he was back at the entrance, armed with an entirely new, overflowing batch of gifts.
It was enough to make Seele cry out in despair, accusing him of being a monster. Her newly renovated house was already filled to the brim—where was she supposed to fit another massive delivery?
Ren didn't care about spatial limitations. He forcefully crossed the threshold of Seele's room once more, capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.
"I can't help it, Seele," he murmured against her mouth, his hands pinning her wrists to the mattress. "I'm just in such a hurry to move in with you. You wouldn't lock me out, would you?"
Seele's face burned a brilliant, feverish crimson. She gritted her teeth, her body trembling as she felt him press against her again.
"But... but you brought too many gifts! My room... it can't possibly fit all of this!"
She had known Ren was wealthy, but she never imagined his reserves were this bottomless. His stamina was like a raging flood, threatening to drown her completely.
"It's fine," Ren whispered, easily shifting her weight on the bed to find a better angle. "If there's not enough space, I'll just keep renovating until we're both satisfied."
"Wait—!"
Seele tried to protest, to beg for a moment of rest. Unfortunately, Ren was not a patient contractor. The second round of heavy renovations had already begun.
By the time dinner rolled around, the atmosphere in the dining hall was electric. To properly welcome Natasha and the new arrivals, Haruno and the others had organized a massive, lavish banquet.
The room was a sea of stunning women, their laughter and chatter filling the air over the clinking of crystal glasses and the rich aroma of roasted meats and sweet pastries. The energy was infectious, with various parlor games set up across the hall to keep the lively mood going.
"Hook, are you having fun?"
Ren walked over, casually plucking the oversized, signature hat off the little girl's head before ruffling her rosy cheeks and messy hair.
"So much fun!" Hook cheered. She held up a massive cup of fruit juice with both hands, her face split into a blinding, toothy grin. "There are so many cool things to look at here! Lots of pretty, gentle older sisters, tons of new friends, and the food is super delicious! I absolutely love it!"
A few paces away, Natasha and Lynx exchanged knowing, affectionate smiles. The warmth of the sanctuary was a stark, welcome contrast to the harsh cold of the Underworld. It truly was a paradise.
"Does that mean you don't want to go to the amusement park tomorrow?" Ren teased, raising an eyebrow.
Hook froze. The juice cup lowered slightly. She pulled her head down like a startled turtle, tapping her index fingers together as a look of intense internal conflict washed over her face.
"W-Well..." she stammered, her eyes darting around the luxurious hall. "Even though it's really, really great here... Hook still wants to go see the amusement park!"
"Hahaha!"
A chorus of laughter erupted around them. The sheer, unfiltered childish innocence of the self-proclaimed boss of the Moles melted the hearts of everyone watching.
"It really is wonderful here..." Seele murmured, leaning against a pillar near the edge of the banquet. She let out a soft, wistful sigh.
Beside her, Bronya's ears twitched. The Supreme Guardian of Belobog turned her head, casting a highly complex, scrutinizing sideways glance at her closest companion.
Seele had been missing for the entire afternoon.
Bronya's sharp eyes swept over Seele's posture, her flushed skin, the slight unsteadiness in her stance. Yet, she couldn't pinpoint anything overtly strange. If what her mother, Cocolia, had teasingly implied was true—that Seele and Ren were engaging in a deep, physical exchange—shouldn't there be more obvious signs of transformation?
Could her mother have guessed wrong?
"Bronya, why are you staring at me like that?" Seele suddenly asked, her voice pitching up a nervous octave. She reached up, frantically rubbing her cheek. "Is there something on my face?"
Under Bronya's intense gaze, Seele felt a spike of pure panic. Her mind raced, terrified that Ren had left some visible, sticky evidence of his gifts that she had somehow missed in the shower.
Bronya slowly shook her head. But the curiosity gnawing at her restraint finally won out.
"Seele, this afternoon... you and Ren... did he—"
"He and I just went out to look at the scenery!" Seele blurted out, cutting Bronya off before she could even finish her sentence.
The silence that followed was deafening.
It was the textbook definition of a guilty conscience. A cover-up so painfully transparent it practically screamed the truth.
Bronya mentally sighed. Now she had absolute confirmation. The two of them had definitely crossed the line.
Releasing a soft, quiet breath, Bronya reached out and gently placed her hand over Seele's trembling fingers.
"Seele," Bronya said, her tone earnest and completely devoid of judgment. "You don't have to hide anything from me. If the two of you are truly in love, everyone here—myself included—will give you our full blessing."
Seele froze.
Meeting Bronya's sincere, unwavering gaze, Seele's notoriously thin skin reached its absolute limit. A wave of overwhelming embarrassment crashed over her, turning her face, neck, and the tips of her ears a burning, radioactive red.
Defeated, she lowered her head completely, staring at the floor tiles as a faint, high-pitched hum of confirmation escaped her throat, sounding no louder than a mosquito.
"I see," Bronya murmured.
Having received Seele's direct admission, Bronya suddenly felt a bizarre urge to both laugh and cry. A sudden, terrifying realization struck her.
If Seele was now officially one of Ren's women... didn't that mean Seele's seniority in the household hierarchy was now on the exact same level as her own mother, Cocolia?
An indescribable, suffocating sense of absurdity washed over Bronya, leaving her completely at a loss for words. Her best friend was now technically her step-mother.
"Cough... cough..." Seele cleared her throat awkwardly, her eyes darting nervously around the room. She shifted her weight, looking as though a massive, terrifying weight was pressing down on her chest. "Um, Bronya... actually, I... I have a question I need to ask you."
Bronya forced herself to compose her shattered worldview. She stood up a little straighter. "Tell me."
Seele hesitated. She opened her mouth, closed it, and looked around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. Finally, she leaned in close, her lips hovering just inches from Bronya's ear.
When she spoke, her voice was a fragile, terrified whisper.
It was a question that struck Bronya like a bolt of lightning, freezing the Supreme Guardian entirely solid.
"Bronya..." Seele whispered. "Do... do you know how to raise a child?"
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