"Hah, finally succeeded!"
Roy wiped the thin sweat beading on his forehead and let out a long breath.
It had taken him nearly half the night to isolate and use the simplest part of the "Body Modification" ability—the organizational density and physical traits.
And even then, he only managed to imitate it crudely, far from fully mastering it.
"To completely master all of Tiamat's powers and wield them effortlessly… I have no idea how long that will take."
Roy murmured to himself in awe.
He wasn't feeling tired, exactly.
Though experimenting with Tiamat's abilities was mentally taxing, the more difficult it was to control, the more it proved how powerful the ability truly was.
The thought of one day fully mastering all of Tiamat's powers—casually altering life forms as if he were a god of creation—rekindled the fading fire within him.
With renewed vigor, he threw himself into the next round of experiments.
After several trials, Roy could roughly restore the original form of a puppet with decent accuracy.
At this point, he finally began to grasp how to modify body strength and features on his own, even without a sample to reference.
Hours later, nearing dawn, Roy was able to alter some bodily parameters by himself.
For example, within the limits of bones and skin, he had figured out how to maximize muscle density and adjust the length of finger joints.
Testing these on puppets yielded promising results.
So, Roy performed his first self-modification.
By infusing magic into his muscles and bones, he naturally improved muscle fibers and strengthened his body. His physique visibly grew healthier.
The weak frame that would collapse at a breeze gradually transformed into a balanced, coordinated build, muscles slightly bulging, and footsteps becoming more powerful.
He clenched his fists, feeling the strength coursing through him, relishing the solid, healthy body with a pleased smile.
God only knew how he'd managed these years when running a hundred meters left him gasping for air.
He didn't dare push the experiments further.
The reason he dared such a light experiment so soon was because the puppet made by Touko was a healthy version of himself. Adjusting his body to match the puppet's template was easy, but going deeper risked damaging his own body.
Roy turned to leave the basement and rest.
Suddenly, his eyes caught the puppet's lower half.
He paused in silence.
His expression shifted from thought to delight, then settled into determination.
Striding back to the testing table, he threw himself energetically into a new experiment.
***
Around three or four in the morning, Roy finally dragged his exhausted body back to the surface.
Though his face was marked by the fatigue of a sleepless night, his eyes gleamed with an almost alarming excitement.
A cold wind greeted him as he stepped outside, jolting him awake.
"A shower, then to bed."
Roy yawned and headed to the main residence.
Soon after, he emerged from the bath and moved toward the master bedroom.
As he entered, he suddenly froze.
He held his breath, ears pricked.
There was another breath in the room.
It came from the bed, steady and slow—clearly someone asleep.
"Sleeping in my room?"
Roy raised an eyebrow.
Who was it?
Touko wasn't home.
Was it Utaha? Or Ichika?
Roy tiptoed closer.
The moment he saw the figure on the bed, his breath caught.
A young girl lay on her side. Her pink cherry lips exhaled slow, heated breaths. She wore the maid outfit Roy had bought—an extremely revealing outfit exposing vast patches of pale white skin. Her long blonde hair shimmered under the moonlight like a dream.
"…Ai?"
The girl fluttered her long eyelashes, then opened her ocean-blue eyes.
Her gaze first blurred in confusion, then refocused sharply on Roy's face.
Her eyes widened slightly before realization dawned.
She'd actually fallen asleep?
"Lord Roy, you've returned?"
Hayasaka sat up, and the cold wind swept through the bedclothes.
Wearing so little and at the coldest time of night, she hugged her arms, her slender frame trembling lightly.
Seeing this, Roy climbed onto the bed, gently laid Hayasaka back down, then lay beside her and pulled the blanket over them.
"Ai, you've made up your mind, haven't you?"
At this point, Roy no longer hid his interest in Hayasaka. His gaze swept over her delicate form beneath the covers, growing deeper.
"Yes, Lord Roy, I have made up my mind. Tonight, I will serve you."
So close, Hayasaka could feel Roy's gaze growing bolder. His hands reached her slim waist—small enough to grasp with one palm.
Roy's hands were still cool, brushing her skin and making her shiver.
Since she had said so herself, Roy didn't pretend to be a gentleman anymore.
He flipped over onto her.
His hands ignited warmth across her skin.
Sweat beaded on the girl's forehead.
Hayasaka was ready.
But what she hadn't expected was—
"Wait! This will kill me, right? It absolutely will! I will definitely die!"
Hayasaka's eyes dropped, her face filled with panic. She struggled free from Roy's hands and lunged toward the edge of the bed.
Something's wrong!
Absolutely wrong!
She had asked Ichika beforehand, who clearly said Lord Roy's size was average and his stamina weak!
Why was it like this?
Ichika had lied to her!
She must have suffered herself and wanted Hayasaka to suffer too!
"Starting a fire and running away—where's the justice in that?"
Roy wasn't about to let his prize slip away now. He reached out and grabbed Hayasaka's ankle, dragging her back from the bed's edge.
Hayasaka stared into Roy's face, despair filling her eyes.
Then a pained scream erupted, quickly melting into uncontrollable pleasure.
***
Dawn.
Rin sat in the living room chair, her face stormy.
Her fingers drummed on the table, legs jittering in impatience, her expression one that could only be described as having eaten shit.
In the kitchen, the Nakano sisters quietly made breakfast, even washing dishes with extreme care to avoid provoking Rin's wrath.
From the bedroom, after Roy had tended to her wounds with runes, Hayasaka could only lean against the wall to come out—and then faced this scene.
"Fine, fine, Ai Hayasaka! So all that pestering last night was just because you sneaked off, huh?"
Rin's glare struck Hayasaka like lightning as soon as she appeared, her face radiating murderous intent.
Hayasaka could only sigh, utterly exhausted.
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹