That evening, back at Chaldea, Ian and Tamamo-no-Mae went to her room.
"Tama," the man said, taking in the incredibly familiar Heian-kyo-style surroundings, feeling a little nostalgic. "Did you... really turn this place into this after all this time?"
"Yes," Tamamo-no-Mae's face was slightly flushed, her expression filled with the joy of having her careful preparations discovered. "Master... was it not good enough?"
"No, of course not." Ian took Tamamo-no-Mae's hand. "I just didn't expect you to prepare so well. This place was clearly..." Before the man could finish, Tamamo-no-Mae completed the sentence for him.
"This place was where you took pleasure in me, Master—I restored it accurately, didn't I?" Saying this, the fox demon took Ian's hand and guided it into the opening of her kimono. "I remember everything."
And as Ian felt the slightly hard, smooth lines in his hand, his heart was already as clear as a mirror. This virtuous fox demon, who clearly had desires no less than anyone else, had endured and waited, always considering his perspective.
"Tama," the man reached out and gently brushed away Tamamo-no-Mae's beautiful, cherry-blossom-colored hair, then whispered his reward. "Tonight—don't call me Master. Go back to your favorite name—call me Abe, that's me too."
"Eh?" Tamamo-no-Mae was completely surprised to be granted such a privilege, and her golden eyes were filled with delight. She realized this was Ian's reward, so she nodded. "I understand. Lord Abe... please allow me to return to Heian-kyo with you tonight."
"Mmm," Ian smiled slightly. "That's exactly what I intended."
A few minutes later, a large wooden tub stood in the center of the room. Tamamo-no-Mae's usual kimono was now on the floor nearby. The fox demon herself sat inside, meticulously cleaning her body. Steam slowly rose from the tub, quickly filling the entire room and covering everything in a thin layer of mist.
"Tama," Ian said, watching the fox demon earnestly cleaning her treasure in the tub, afraid of missing any spot. His eyes held both a man's tenderness and an unexpected surprise. "You're cleaning very carefully."
"Yes," Tamamo-no-Mae said, blushing and nodding. "Since Lord Abe wants to use my body to make tea, I have to be in the best condition. Or—" she added, "Does Lord Abe think the waiting time is too long?"
"Not at all," Ian smiled slightly. "Being able to watch you bathe so closely is exactly what I've been wishing for."
Hearing this, the fox demon's face flushed, and her movements became even more graceful. "Then—please, Lord Abe, enjoy me."
"Mmm, I will."
Ten minutes later, the bathed Tamamo-no-Mae slowly emerged from the wooden tub. Her body now radiated a faint, delicate fragrance. Just one sniff would instantly transport Ian back to the glory days of Heian-kyo. He wrapped his arms around the fox demon's waist, gently sniffing her chest, and then praised her from the bottom of his heart. "Tama, you smell as sweet as a cherry blossom."
Facing the man's praise, Tamamo-no-Mae clasped her hands behind her back and lowered her head, looking very shy. To others, she might be a fox demon who transcended eras, a graceful and beautiful woman. But in front of Ian, she was still the pitiful creature who had been lost on the streets of Heian-kyo and had finally been sheltered by the great Onmyoji.
"Is that so?" Tamamo-no-Mae said, her tone becoming more seductive as she leaned into the man's embrace. "Then Lord Abe, please use me well and make a tea that you are satisfied with."
"Mmm... I know."
Lifting up the cherry-blossom-scented Tamamo-no-Mae, who had just finished bathing, Ian gently placed her on the bed. Her fluffy tail spread out like a carpet, perfectly cushioning the fox demon's body. The fox demon's method of making tea was very special—she didn't need any tools. Instead, she would put the tea leaves into her treasure to brew, resulting in a fragrant drink. This wasn't Ian's first time experiencing this drink, so he quickly took control of the fox demon's body.
"Tama, if you're uncomfortable, tell me right away."
"Mmm," Tamamo-no-Mae nodded happily. "Lord Abe... I will."
"Good." Ian gently kissed Tamamo-no-Mae's forehead, then held her legs, one on each side, and slowly pushed them back until they touched the back of her head. Taking out the straw ropes Tamamo-no-Mae had prepared to replicate the past, the man, under the fox demon's shy gaze, gently tied her legs together, forming a pillow-like shape to support her head. As for her hands, for comfort, he only tied them together lightly.
With this, the fox demon's perfectly clean and fragrant treasure was presented perfectly to Ian. And the man also noticed something—the pattern on Tamamo-no-Mae's lower abdomen.
"Tama," Ian's fingertip gently traced the pink pattern, as if outlining a shape. "Do you still remember how you got this pattern?"
"I do," Tamamo-no-Mae said, blushing while maintaining her teapot-like posture, then nodded. "Lord Abe drew it specifically to protect me and ensure my safety."
"Yes," Ian lowered his head and gently kissed that spot on the fox demon, as if proving something. "Tama, you are very safe now—how about I remove it?"
"No!" the fox demon shook her head. "Lord Abe—please, never do that! This is... the bond between me and you from the past, it absolutely cannot be erased."
"..." Ian hadn't expected Tamamo-no-Mae's reaction to be so strong, but he also understood that the fox demon cherished that past experience. "I understand," the man nodded. "Then let it be a witness, and let it stay with you forever."
"Mmm," Tamamo-no-Mae smiled slightly. "That's... perfect."
"Then—" Ian looked at the box on the bed beside them. That was Tamamo-no-Mae's dowry. It was now filled with all kinds of tea leaves. Just looking at it made Ian realize how dedicated this fox demon was to serving him. "Tama, what kind of tea leaves do you want me to use?"
"Any will do," Tamamo-no-Mae said shyly. "I prepared these tea leaves specifically based on Lord Abe's preferences. So—no matter which one you choose, you don't have to worry about me not being able to adapt."
"Good. In that case..." Ian chose a tea that seemed less stimulating. "Tama, I'm going to begin."
"Mmm," Tamamo-no-Mae nodded. "Please, Lord Abe, begin."
Taking a deep breath, Ian began this tea-making journey. He reached out and gently pried open a gap in the fox demon's perfect treasure, which was completely exposed before him, to get a glimpse of the situation inside. The previous washing had not been in vain. Now, the fox demon's treasure, like her body, emitted a faint cherry blossom fragrance, making one feel insatiable just by smelling it.
The man's finger stirred inside for a while, and after it became wet, he brought it to Tamamo-no-Mae's lips.
"Tama... you're very well-prepared."
"Yes," Tamamo-no-Mae said, licking the finger in front of her, as if to prove how clean it was. "I know Lord Abe likes this technique—so I've been continuously improving it, hoping that Lord Abe will have a good time."
"I see, that's very thoughtful of you."
"No, it's what I should do." Tamamo-no-Mae licked the wetness from Ian's finger clean.
"Tama, you're very virtuous." Ian spread the fox demon's treasure wider. He began to rub the tea leaves gently, sprinkling them bit by bit into her treasure. Being filled in this way, Tamamo-no-Mae was very sensitive, and her body would tremble from time to time. Her shy face was filled with the pleasure of satisfying the man she loved.
"Tama, is this too much?"
"No," the fox demon shook her head. "If Lord Abe wants to drink a stronger tea, it doesn't matter how much you put in."
"You really are a good woman." As the man said this, he picked up a teapot he had prepared in advance, which contained warm water suitable for brewing tea. "Tama, it's time for the next step."
"Mmm," Tamamo-no-Mae nodded. "Please, Lord Abe, begin—because I'm also very excited."
"Is that so..." With Tamamo-no-Mae's permission, Ian inserted the teapot's spout into the fox demon's treasure. Gurgle, gurgle, the warm water was slowly poured inside. The tea leaves that were already there were all washed up and swirled into a small vortex.
"..." Tamamo-no-Mae's body trembled more violently, but she bit her lip, determined not to make a sound. Clearly, even though she had tried this once before, it was still very difficult. Seeing her like this, Ian felt a little heartbroken and paused.
"Tama—is this really too difficult?" he asked. "How about we stop here?"
"No," Tamamo-no-Mae shook her head. "I said I would be Lord Abe's teapot forever. So—I beg you, Lord Abe, to continue... think of it as fulfilling my wish."
Saying this, Tamamo-no-Mae even tried to let the warm water pour in on her own, but she couldn't due to the restraints on her body. Feeling the fox demon's determination, Ian said nothing more. He gently poured the remaining, perfect amount of warm water into Tamamo-no-Mae's treasure.
Soon, the fox demon's exclusive brewing spot swelled slightly, looking like a small hill.
"Lord Abe, it's full," Tamamo-no-Mae said, looking down at her body, her expression very happy.
"Then—please close the lid for a while. In a moment, you can taste the tea I have brewed for you."
"Mmm," Ian nodded, picked up the item Tamamo-no-Mae had prepared (it was actually just a bandage of the right size), gently pinched the two sides of the fox demon's treasure, and sealed them.
The initial ritual was finally over, and the atmosphere became silent for a moment. Of course, neither Tamamo-no-Mae nor Ian liked it to be so quiet when they were alone. Their mutual understanding was something that could no longer be summarized in just a few words. So—
"Lord Abe. / Tama."
The two of them spoke almost at the same time. At that moment, they looked at each other, their eyes filled with a smile.
"You first, Tama," Ian said magnanimously.
"Mmm," Tamamo-no-Mae nodded. "Lord Abe... there's still some time before the tea is ready. Please continue to use me."
"..." Ian looked at Tamamo-no-Mae and more or less understood what she meant. And the fox demon's next action completely validated the man's guess. Tamamo-no-Mae, unable to move, began to control her other treasure, making it contract and then expand slightly in front of Ian.
"Lord Abe. While the front is being used for tea—the back is also ready. Please... use that place as well."
Ian, of course, knew what Tamamo-no-Mae was talking about. After all, when he was pouring the warm water, the fox demon's other treasure had been trembling along with her, seemingly getting a lot of stimulation. However, the more this happened, the more the man knew he couldn't refuse.
"I understand." The man said this while reaching for his waist, and then he placed Tamamo-no-Mae's bound hands on it. "Tama—I'll also ask for your service from the front."
"Mmm." Tamamo-no-Mae's golden eyes sparkled slightly. She hadn't expected Ian to make an even more advanced request. But for the fox demon at this moment, the more intimate the action, the happier it made her.
"I understand," Tamamo-no-Mae said, while forcing her hands into a ○-shape. However, due to the restraints, her movements could not be very wide. The man knew this, so he cooperated perfectly and used Tamamo-no-Mae's clasped hands as her little ○. In other words, the man actively rubbed against Tamamo-no-Mae's hand, rather than her rubbing against him.
"Your hand is also wonderful, Tama," the man praised.
"Is that so?" Tamamo-no-Mae, who was "gripping" the man's ○-stick, flushed. It was clear that she loved the special use of her hands. However, she had not forgotten that she had other things to do tonight. The virtuous fox demon spoke up.
"Lord Abe. I've actually had an idea for a while."
"Oh? What is it?" the man asked, continuing to rub against her.
"Mmm..." Tamamo-no-Mae, who was being used as an object, looked at him and expressed the first step of her paradise project. "Lord Abe. Can you hold a ○-ing conference in Chaldea?"