Chapter 64: Good Night, Melusine.
The moonlight was cool like water.
Under the adornment of that moonlight, the darkness in the room became especially quiet and peaceful.
Thump, thump…
Eikou's ears burned hot, his heart pounding chaotically, so tense that he didn't dare breathe loudly.
"..."
And the reason he was so flustered and tense right now was not because of the ghost in the hotel, but because of the dragon girl lying in the same bed beside him.
Melusine lay on her side at the edge of his bed, her silky silver hair spread across the pillow. Her delicate, refined high nose, skin white and smooth like cream, and that adorable face that made one feel an ache of tenderness. Under the hazy moonlight, that beauty made one's heart pound violently.
The distance between Melusine's small face and him was so close that he could clearly smell the sweet, pleasant fragrance of the girl.
Eikou pulled the blanket up, covering his already flushed face, not wanting the other party to see his expression at this moment.
Who would have thought… that tonight he would actually be sleeping together with Melusine.
Things had really developed into this kind of situation; ending up like this truly felt too apologetic toward Morgan…
Eikou covered his face in embarrassment.
Clearly, at the beginning he had planned to sleep on the floor, yet in the end he still couldn't refuse all the way through and was dragged onto the bed by Melusine.
This was truly walking straight into a trap.
On one hand, it was because he really was afraid of that ghost outside, the one that looked very much like King Hassan. Only this warm blanket could give him enough sense of security. On the other hand, deep down he tried hard to deny that he cared about Melusine, but when he saw the look in her eyes that was both helpless and afraid of loneliness, he still couldn't help but soften his heart and agree.
Why did he feel like he was always like this—just being asked a little and he would go along with it, only to sink deeper and deeper afterward?
And in the end it turned into a situation like this!
Fortunately, on the two beds next to them, Gawain and Tristan were still sleeping. Melusine definitely wouldn't dare make too big a commotion and wake them up, so in theory it was still relatively safe.
But it was also hard to say; perhaps for Melusine, this was also part of the play she wanted to practice, in preparation for sneaking into the room of him and Morgan together sometime in the future.
At least up until now, she still looked quite well-behaved and hadn't done anything excessive.
Thus, quite a long time passed, with the sound of sea waves coming in waves. Eikou still found it hard to fall asleep, while Melusine lay quietly on her side beside him, those golden eyes silently watching his face.
Neither of them spoke; by their ears lingered only the distant sound of the sea waves, along with the thumping heartbeat pounding within their chests.
"…Is something wrong?"
Having been stared at by her for quite a while, Eikou finally couldn't help but ask.
"Nothing," Melusine said calmly, "it's just a rare opportunity, I want to look at you sleeping before I go to sleep."
"There's no need to go that far…"
Eikou grew more and more embarrassed from her words.
"Can't you sleep, Eikou?"
The dragon girl lying beside him softly blew a warm breath by his ear.
Eikou shuddered in surprise, his face flushing red as he hurriedly shifted his body a little farther away.
"There are other people here…"
He said hurriedly.
"Of course I know that," Melusine smiled sweetly, "then why do you need to emphasize that to me?"
"This…"
Eikou was about to open his mouth to explain, but then suddenly realized that this was a trap question.
He saw Melusine's dazzlingly beautiful face lean close, carrying a mischievous maiden's smile, as she said: "Could it be that you're hoping I'll do something to you? Is that what you're thinking?"
"No no no no…"
He shook his head frantically, his heart pounding even more violently.
"But I really want to do that."
The smile on Melusine's face grew even deeper.
Eikou tried to quietly inch himself farther away, wanting to avoid this dangerous, man-eating-type Naughty Dragon, but she had already noticed his intention and refused to let him go, pressing her soft body tightly against him.
That maiden's body, fragrant and soft, looking fragile and slender, carried a comfortable warmth beneath the thin, light pajamas. Her head gently rested against his chest.
At that moment, Eikou's face was burning red, to the point that he almost forgot how to breathe.
He tried to adjust his breathing, forcing himself to stay calm.
The girl in his arms was a bit thinner than he had imagined.
Judging only from the sensation of touch and this weight, she wasn't particularly different from other girls at all—completely the type of little girl who liked clinging to people and acting spoiled, with both her heart and body being very delicate.
With the soft, warm maiden lying in his arms, Eikou's mind was already completely in chaos.
At this moment, should he do something? Or should he not do anything at all?
No, that wouldn't do—how could he do anything, when there was still a ghost outside, people sleeping nearby, and moreover, the other party was even a subordinate of Morgan?!
"Eikou, your heart is beating very fast…"
Nestled in his arms, Melusine breathed out a light fragrance as she spoke.
"So after all, the type you like is a girl like me, right."
"N-No, that's not it,"
Eikou tried hard to appear calm and said stiffly,
"Actually, the type I like is older big sisters with a full bust. A skinny, slender maiden like you absolutely can't stir even a single ripple in my heart!"
The moment he finished saying that, he regretted it.Crap, why did I stubbornly say something like that?!
Such an unconfident lie would definitely be seen through immediately!
Big-breasted big sisters were indeed his preference, but the type of youthful girlfriend who felt perfect for romance was also completely within Eikou's strike zone.
And Melusine—so long as she didn't open her mouth to say anything—was honestly the very model of an ideal girlfriend in terms of cuteness!
"Is that so,"
Melusine pressed her smooth, pale cheek against his chest and smiled as she asked,
"Then why is your heart beating so fast right now?"
"..."
Eikou's face was already burning red, and his honest body had left him with no way to argue anymore.
"Then let me ask the voice in your heart,"
Melusine breathed out a sweet, warm breath by his ear.
"You have to answer properly…"
Then, her pink lips gently and tenderly pressed up.
Their lips touched.
From beneath the blanket came the vague, ambiguous sound of lips and teeth brushing together.
Eikou's eyes widened.
Time at that instant seemed to stop—yet also felt as though it had already flowed on for a very long while.
The pale moonlight fell softly, the sound of the sea outside the window becoming clear and gentle, like a romantic piano melody.
Melusine slowly withdrew from his lips, a little seductively wiping the corner of her mouth.
The maiden's face looked pure and proper, cool and polite, but those brilliant golden eyes, under the moonlight, now flashed with an eerie glow.
"So… have you clearly felt my charm now?"
Melusine smiled, slightly mischievous as she lightly stuck out her tongue.
"Ha a..."
Eikou was kissed to the point that he could barely speak.
"Hehe," she laughed softly. "You become obedient as soon as you're teased a little—such a very well-behaved child. I really like that about you. But the price for not being honest is that next, you have to accept a punishment..."
"Pu-punishment...?"
Looking at the beautiful silver-haired maiden right before his eyes, Eikou said with a flushed face.
He was extremely tense, staring at the peerless beauty in front of him while also unconsciously swallowing, carrying a trace of anticipation.
"That's right. Who told you to say something that went against your true feelings and then let me find out..."
Melusine broke into a radiant smile. "The punishment is—tonight, let me hold you while we sleep!"
Immediately after, this naughty dragon very naturally clung to him, resting her head against his solid chest. With a faint, happy smile, she closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes lightly brushed against his chest, as if she were about to enter a sweet dream.
"…Good night, my beloved."
She whispered in a sweet voice.
Just as Melusine had said, dragons were creatures that were extremely attached to body warmth.
"Zzzzzzzz..."
Eikou immediately felt Melusine's gentle breathing, along with her very light snoring.
She… fell asleep already...?!
The speed at which she drifted off was frighteningly fast.
No way—so in the end, it really was just sleeping like this?
Eikou couldn't help but freeze.
What the hell—teasing me until I'm in such a terrible state, and then you fall asleep first on your own?!
"Zzzzzz..."
Melusine's chest rose and fell slightly, her soft breathing sounding as though she were having a wonderful dream in his arms.
Feeling the warm, soft beauty sleeping soundly against him, Eikou now found himself completely unable to sleep.
Damn it, you did this on purpose, didn't you? In a situation like this, how am I supposed to sleep?! You clearly bullied me on purpose, playing this pull-and-release game—so how is it that in the end, I'm the one who gets abandoned instead?!
[Melusine hugs you tightly and sinks into a sweet dream.]
[But in this situation, you are completely unable to fall asleep.]
[You are tense, restless, and a little irritated, thinking to yourself whether you should just ignore everything and directly pin down this naughty dragon who is always seducing you and even offering herself proactively, and just do it once and be done with it!]
[But Gawain and Tristan are right beside you, and this shameful, improper feeling—together with a gentleman's bearing—does not allow you to make a move on a girl who has already fallen asleep.]
[The more it is like this, the more you feel the girl in your arms is sweet and bewitching...]
[That night, your inner self was tormented intensely...]
[Feeling the charm of the woman in your arms leaves you unable to settle down, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.]
[Your Rank [My Love Is Eternal] has increased to A Rank.]
[You once again return to a state that is prone to falling into desire deprivation...]
Damn it! Why is it like this again?!
Held tightly by Melusine, Eikou was completely unable to move and also unable to fall asleep.
[In this situation, you are extremely easy to be taken advantage of along the flow, yet Melusine chose to fall asleep at this moment. You also don't know whether she is so naïve that she didn't realize it, or whether she deliberately teased you like this.]
[Another disaster-filled night.]
[You almost did not sleep the entire night, your heart pounding violently. When dawn arrives, your face is still flushed red.]
[You have obtained the temporary status [Staying Up Late], all body-related abilities temporarily decrease by one rank.]
In the end it still turned out like this—this is really too much!
"Damn lewd, hateful Naughty Dragon, sooner or later I'll smack your butt until you beg me for forgiveness!"
…