Around seven o'clock in the evening, Eri arrived home from work.
She looked visibly tired—there had been too many cases lately.
Late nights had become the norm.
At the entrance, she slipped off her high heels, revealing her black stockings.
But the exhaustion in her body faded slightly at the thought of seeing Akashi.
Lately, the Queen of Law had noticed something strange.
Whenever she was with Akashi, she felt inexplicably happy—both physically and mentally.
No matter how drained she was from work, all the fatigue disappeared the moment she held the little boy in her arms.
It was almost magical.
Now in her slippers, Eri quickly stepped inside.
As she moved deeper into the house, the sound of water running in the bathroom reached her ears.
Her expression fell.
Really? Ran beat me to it?
Taking a bath while holding the little boy was such a wonderful thing—it strengthened bonds and was incredibly relaxing.
Ugh! It's been days since I last bathed with Akashi!
Feeling a little bitter, Eri called out:
"You two, stop fooling around and come out after you're done!"
Inside the bathroom, the sound of splashing water instantly ceased.
Both Ran and Akashi turned their heads toward the door, eyes wide.
However, Eri didn't barge in and simply walked away.
Ran let out a breath of relief.
Then, she turned to the little boy beside her.
"Akashi, don't tell Mom what just happened, okay?"
She pouted, then teased:
"You're so naughty! You got water everywhere!"
Akashi, the so-called "naughty one," looked a little lost.
Who's actually the naughty one here?
Why do I feel like she's more of a succubus than me?
No, she's totally a succubus sister!
With Eri already home, the two decided to stop dawdling.
As the bathroom door swung open, thick steam rolled out.
Dressed in their pajamas, the two one tall one small figures emerged, hand in hand.
Now back in the living room, Ran's sense of reality returned, and for a brief moment, guilt flickered in her eyes as she faced her mother.
Quickly, she spoke up:
"Mom, do you want me to cook something for you?"
"Akashi and I already ate outside!"
She put on the perfect image of a dutiful daughter.
Eri chuckled at this.
"Ramen is fine, but make two portions. Ai-chan probably hasn't eaten yet."
With an OK gesture, Ran transformed into a little chef and headed to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, the adorable and handsome Akashi was pulled onto the living room sofa.
Eri patted the seat beside her.
"Really, your hair's still wet."
She picked up the nearby hairdryer, plugged it in, and began drying his hair.
The warm air blew over him as Eri's gentle fingers ran through his hair.
Akashi instinctively buried his face against her, melting into her warmth.
The soft hands on his head, the comforting heat—it was incredibly soothing.
Eri, too, found herself smiling unconsciously, her energy revitalized.
Once his hair was dry, she set the hairdryer aside and took a moment to gaze at the little boy in front of her.
Then, with ease, she slid her arms under his and lifted him up.
She couldn't resist the tug at her heartstrings and planted two kisses on his cheeks.
If she hadn't controlled herself, she might have kissed him on the lips.
"Akashi, did you miss me while you were at the hot spring hotel?"
The words sounded like something meant to coax a child.
Akashi felt his cheeks heat up.
But seeing Eri's expectant gaze, he knew he had to play along.
With exaggerated sincerity, he declared:
"I missed you! I missed you three thousand times!"
Woo~~~
Hearing those words, Eri felt a critical hit straight to her heart.
The Queen of Law was instantly reduced to a puddle of affection.
Unable to resist, she pulled him tightly into her embrace, burying his head against her chest.
"I also miss Akashi so much. I've thought about you four thousand times!"
"Me? Five thousand times!"
The sulky young shota declared, making Eri burst into laughter.
"Alright, alright, I surrender! Akashi clearly missed me more!"
She felt an overwhelming sense of joy as her hand gently ruffled Akashi's hair.
If only time could stop at this moment.
But while Akashi seemed lost in this warmth, a hint of distress lingered in his heart.
How was he supposed to explain his true identity to her when her feelings for him were already so strong?
Akashi had a completely different perception of Eri.
To him, she was the woman who saved his life when he was on the brink of death.
From the bottom of his heart, he didn't want to hurt her.
His attitude toward her was unlike what he felt toward any other woman.
At the dinner table, Eri couldn't help but boast a little.
"Ran, do you know what Akashi just said?"
"He said he thought about me three thousand times!"
"Eh?"
Ran's expression faltered for a moment. She glanced at Akashi with a half-smile.
Her face practically screamed jealousy.
"Well, Akashi, how many times have you thought about me?"
Akashi was speechless.
Is this really something to compete over?
"Never thought about it."
Ran's expression immediately shifted!
But before she could react further, Akashi quickly added:
"Sister Ran, haven't we been together these past two days?"
Oh… that's true!
Satisfied with that reasoning, Ran's expression softened again.
She playfully rolled her eyes and let him off the hook.
"Oh, by the way, Mom, Sonoko family's cruise ship is setting sail tomorrow. Do you want to come along?"
Eri shook her head.
"I can't make it. I have no idea how long tomorrow's case will take."
Her expression turned serious.
"This time, I'm going up against an old rival. I'll need all my energy to handle the case."
"You guys go ahead and have fun!"
Ran's excitement dimmed slightly.
But then, she suddenly pulled out a few coupons.
"What about the day after tomorrow? Once your trial is over, you should be able to rest, right?"
Her eyes sparkled as she made her pitch.
"I won a ticket to the Izu Beach Hotel in a lottery. How about we take a vacation together?"
"It's been ages since we went on a trip as a family."
She clung to Eri's arm, acting adorably clingy.
"Just say yes, Mom!"
Eri sighed, defeated.
"Fine."
Ran's face lit up instantly.
"But Akashi and Ai-chan have to come too!"
Ran nodded eagerly.
"Of course!"
Having secured her goal, she grinned with satisfaction.
She was a pro at getting her parents to spend time together.
Since her mother refused the cruise trip, she had already prepared a backup plan.
And now that her mother agreed, everything was falling into place!
Meanwhile, Eri was thinking about something else entirely.
Despite Akashi having been at home for so long, she had never taken him out for a proper trip.
This was the perfect opportunity.
A soft smile spread across her lips as she thought about it.
Once again, her hand instinctively reached out to ruffle Akashi's hair.
Meanwhile, Ran, who planned to stay the night, completely forgot something important…
She didn't even remember that her father was home alone—hungry and freezing.