When Tsuna opened his eyes that morning, the first thing he saw wasn't sunlight filtering through the curtains.
It was Tiona and Tione—both completely naked—lying in the transparent bath.
"…"
Did I just hallucinate?
He sifted through his memories from last night. He distinctly remembered Ais being the one soaking in the bath, and she had been wearing a swimsuit. So how did it turn into them overnight?
And why the hell were they both completely unclothed?
The sight alone made his eyes sting from the sheer shock.
Have I gotten too relaxed lately? he thought grimly. Tiona and Tione came in here together and I didn't even notice?
He took a slow breath and forced himself to calm down, closing his eyes. The moment he focused, his hearing sharpened—and what he caught made him freeze.
Two rapid heartbeats. Close together. Loud and frantic.
It wasn't just one person panicking—both of them were. The rhythm almost sounded like a duet.
So they realized I'm awake, huh? High-level Adventurers really do have insane awareness.
Even Amazons get embarrassed when they should.
And seriously, did they not think about how Ais was wearing a swimsuit yesterday?
The image that flashed through his mind refused to leave—Tiona and Tione's bare figures half-submerged in the healing bath. He rubbed his temple, trying to suppress the mental picture.
Still, pretending not to notice wasn't going to work—especially now that both of them were clearly awake.
He cleared his throat. "Ahem. Tiona, Tione… if you're not feeling well either, you could've just told me in advance."
"!?"
Both girls jolted upright, eyes wide. Their tanned cheeks instantly turned red.
Despite the Amazon race's reputation for boldness, that didn't mean they were shameless.
Especially not when the one seeing them like this was someone their age—and someone they actually liked.
Embarrassment still hit hard.
The real difference between "angry" and "shy" depended on who was watching… and whether that person said anything stupid.
Without a word, the sisters moved in perfect sync. Faces burning, they jumped out of the bath, snatched up their scattered clothes, got dressed at lightning speed, and bolted from the room—all in one seamless motion.
Tsuna stayed still until he heard the door slam shut behind them. Then, and only then, did he open his eyes.
He looked around—no extra garments left behind. Thank god.
Yeah… I should really start being more careful.
Before I do anything else, I need to start giving Tiona and Tione a heads-up if they plan to stop by. Otherwise, stuff like this is bound to happen again.
For the first time, Tsuna realized just how important "advance notice" really was.
Sitting up in the now-empty bath, he stretched. His body felt light, the fatigue from yesterday completely gone.
"Ah… I get it now."
"I must've dozed off because I was too relaxed yesterday."
He sighed, realizing he hadn't even set up a Puppet or any defensive wards before sleeping. No wonder he hadn't reacted when they entered—his body had been completely drained.
Aside from notifying the Hiryute sisters next time, he also needed to reestablish proper security around his room.
Better safe than sorry.
He dispelled the bath, rinsed off, got dressed, and headed toward the dining hall.
Checking the time, he realized it was still early—breakfast hours. That meant the hall would already be buzzing with voices.
The moment he opened the door, the lively chatter hit him.
"Raul, man, you didn't come back at all last night."
"Yeah, we all know what you were doing, but seriously, it takes a whole day to 'take care' of one girl?"
Tsuna's gaze flicked toward the familiar voice—so Raul Nord was still alive and well.
Yesterday, Tsuna hadn't heard a single thing about him and assumed the mission had gone sideways. But now it was clear the guy had just… extended his 'assignment' by spending the night at someone's place.
Honestly, Tsuna couldn't even blame him.
When fate throws a good girl your way, it's hard not to stay.
The woman Ishtar had arranged to seduce Raul for intel was technically a prostitute—but a pure-hearted one. A rare elf among the Ishtar Familia's ranks.
Sure, that "purity" might've been part of the setup, but it worked. And judging by everyone's reactions, Raul's situation was the envy of half the table.
Their eyes were practically glowing green.
"You lucky bastard, you got everything—food, drinks, and company!"
"Seriously, you were supposed to do a dangerous job, but somehow you're the one who made out like a bandit!"
"An elf courtesan from the Pleasure Quarter? You've hit the jackpot, man!"
The teasing and jealous shouts made Raul scratch his cheek awkwardly.
Honestly, even he had to admit his luck had been absurd.
But then he frowned. "Wait—hold up. I was just delivering intel, remember? How the hell do you all know who I ran into in the Pleasure Quarter?"
Someone from the group shouted back immediately.
"Obviously! We had to confirm you didn't get captured by the Ishtar Familia, genius!"
"Don't forget—you weren't there for fun, you were on a mission."
Raul's expression froze, and then he let out a dry laugh. "Right… fair point."
The topic shifted just as quickly as it had come up.
"So, Raul, how'd things go in the end?"
No one really knew what had happened between Raul and the elf courtesan afterward, but judging by his face, he definitely wasn't letting her go.
Apparently, the woman—Lise—had indeed been handpicked by Ishtar for this trap.
And if the goal was to keep Raul tied down for steady intel, it was working perfectly.
"I used my savings to buy Lise a house near the main street by the Pleasure Quarter," Raul said sheepishly. "Then I talked to Lady Ishtar about redeeming her freedom. I don't have enough yet, but she promised not to let Lise take clients until I can pay it off."
The whole table went silent for a beat—then everyone groaned in unison.
Yup. Hook, line, and sinker.
They all knew exactly what was happening: Ishtar had turned emotional attachment into a leash.
Raul was well and truly caught.
After all, no man could resist the idea of "saving" a pure girl from that kind of life.
"Raul," someone finally said, half-sympathetic, half-teasing. "You'd better talk to Lady Loki about this. Fast."
Raul's smile stiffened instantly.
Yeah… that was going to be a problem.
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