Inside the Serenitea Pot.
At present, only one building inside the realm was fit for living. Out on the grassy field, seven slimes bounced about happily, while inside the house, something far more personal was unfolding.
Lumine stood proudly with her hands on her hips, a regal spark in her golden eyes. For too long, others had gathered around Koji—Eula, Shenhe, and more—but she was the one who had been with him from the beginning. She was not about to lose her place.
Koji only smiled, calm and amused. "All right, all right, you win."
Their long-simmering tension finally came to a head. The playful argument turned into something more tender and serious.
Soon, the quiet of the Serenitea Pot filled with laughter, soft words, and the kind of closeness that didn't need to be spoken. Time passed unnoticed until the only sounds left were the steady rhythm of breath and two hearts finally at peace.
When everything settled, Lumine lay beside him, her hair a golden halo on the pillow, and Koji stared at the ceiling with a faint, satisfied smile.
"I'm exhausted," Lumine muttered, stretching lazily.
Koji chuckled. "Guess I'm not the only one who's tired."
She gave him a teasing glare. "And they say only the bull gets worn out, huh?"
He rubbed his temple. "Maybe I'm not exactly ordinary."
Lumine laughed quietly. "Yeah… definitely not ordinary."
Moments later, they drifted to sleep, peaceful and close. Koji wrapped his arms around her and thought with a hint of mischief, Sorry, Aether… guess I'm really your brother-in-law now. When we meet, you can punch me once. I'll take it.
By morning, the air in the Serenitea Pot was calm and warm. Lumine rested against him as sunlight poured through the window.
Koji stretched. "Lumine, what do you think about adding some Whopperflowers to the garden here? The place looks too plain."
She blinked. "You want to bring those here?"
"Why not?" Koji said. "They're colorful, lively, and could make the place look better. Plus, they produce energy-rich nectar."
[Beastmaster's Blessing: Greatly increases affinity with other creatures.]
Whopperflowers, like Sweet Flowers, produced a rich nectar—but with far higher elemental content. Some even believed the great elemental trees, given enough years, could evolve from them.
"That could actually look nice," Lumine admitted. "It'd make this place feel more alive."
Then she paused, a sudden thought crossing her mind. "Uh, Koji… we didn't really use any precautions, did we? I won't, you know…?"
Koji coughed lightly. "Unlikely. And even if it happens, we can handle it. I can afford a few extra mouths to feed."
He thought about his wealth—then gave up counting in his head. After clearing out the remnants of the old gods in Guili Plains, his fortune had become practically endless.
"If there were a Mora ranking," he muttered, "I'd at least make the top hundred."
Lumine smiled sleepily. "What do you think my brother would say if we showed up with a baby?"
Koji laughed. "Probably faint."
She rolled her eyes. "You don't know him. He'd pretend to be happy but secretly thank the heavens he doesn't have to keep an eye on me anymore."
Before they could continue, two voices approached from outside.
"My lord Koji, Lady Lumine—we've located the Whopperflowers!"
It was the Mirror Maiden and the Electro Cicin Mage, two members of the Fatui who had joined Koji's service.
Koji nodded. "Good work. By the way, what's the average Fatui salary? I never asked."
The Electro Mage answered, "Ordinary soldiers get about eight hundred thousand Mora per month. Those assigned to an executive receive bonuses for missions."
Koji whistled softly. "The Fatui sure pay well."
Out of curiosity, he asked, "Which executive is the best to work under?"
The Mirror Maiden thought for a moment. "Probably the Servant or the Lady. The Doctor… not so much. Work under him, and you never know when you'll end up as one of his experiments."
The Electro Mage nodded. "Yes, while he gives powerful tools, the side effects are terrifying. The Servant and Lady are gentle by comparison."
As they talked, they reached a patch of crimson blossoms—the Pyro Whopperflowers. They pulsed faintly with heat, petals curling like tongues of flame.
"Be careful, my lord," warned the Mirror Maiden. "They'll attack if approached."
Koji waved her concern away. "Watch this."
He walked straight toward the nearest one.
Instead of attacking, the Whopperflower tilted toward him, its aura softening as if recognizing kin.
"Want to come with me?" Koji asked.
The plant responded by resting a warm petal on his hand.
The two Fatui agents exchanged stunned glances. "Since when are Whopperflowers this friendly?"
Koji smiled and stored the plant inside the Serenitea Pot. "That's one. Let's find the Cryo ones next."
Lumine, now resting on his back, gave a lazy thumbs-up. "As expected of my man."
"My lord," asked the Electro Mage curiously, "why collect these creatures?"
"They'll make perfect decorations," Koji replied casually. "Think of them as living garden ornaments."
The two women could only sigh. Who else but Koji would think of using dangerous, carnivorous flowers as home décor?
"Come, there are more nearby," said the Mirror Maiden. "We'll guide you."
The Fatui had extensive monster-mapping networks; finding elemental plants was easy for them.
Koji followed along, with Lumine half-asleep on his back.
Paimon, floating nearby, scratched her head. "What happened that day, anyway? Why's Lumine acting like that?"
Noelle, who had been watching Paimon while the couple was "busy," only smiled knowingly.
(End of Chapter)
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