Case 142: Upon a quiet time between the two.

*****

I was bullied for a whole night.

Lyra ravaged me as though she were a starving beast, unstoppable despite my initial resistance. She pounded me so much for so long that my butt hurt, and I genuinely couldn't move without feeling the muscle ache. When I forcibly undo the magic, she would use her fingers to torment me until I gave in and grew her the thing again.

At some point, I just gave up and let her have her way with me. From that point onward, my memories became blurry. I couldn't remember what had happened exactly when I woke up.

''...''

And there she was, calmly sipping her coffee at my table. Her noble and dignified posture showed none of her lunacy the night before. Even now, her entranced blush as she forced kisses onto me remained vivid in my mind. Somehow, I thought it was incredible that I could entice that expression out of her.

But that wasn't the point!

I'd reluctantly listened to Lilith's advice and tried to treat Lyra as a woman yesterday, but I got caught up in the mood and allowed something like that...!

I felt like smacking myself in the head. No, really. But... how could anyone blame me? I knew I had a screw loose in my head, and perhaps because of my succubus mentality, I was unusually slutty. Still, Lyra was objectively a very attractive person—someone of my taste, even. If we hadn't been step-sisters, I would've thrown myself into her arms the moment she showed interest in me.

Besides, despite my whining throughout the night, Lyra was amazing in bed. She learned so fast and became a master in a single session...

Ahem, those were all the excuses, and honestly? I didn't want to think about it anymore. I was tired of thinking.

I didn't want to think about our relationship after we slept together.

I didn't want to think about how I should treat her from this point onward.

Didn't want to think about what I should say to my lovers.

...Didn't want to think about how Lyra, who had become even more attached to me, would react to my sacrifice.

''Hah...''

Perhaps hearing my sigh, the heroine got up and approached me on the bed, ''Good morning, princess.''

Though her face was largely emotionless, save for the thin smile, I could tell she was beaming. Rather, her gaze on me turned into something indecent shortly after, like that of a child who was excited to play with her new toy again.

Well, I was still naked, so that was probably why.

I didn't try to hide under the quilt or anything. She already saw everything anyway. But the more I looked at the dense markings she had done on me, the more I grew resentful, ''Feral.'' I barked, hmph-ing.

The heroine showed a rare chuckle as she sat beside me, her arm naturally hoisting my waist, ''That's true. You were so beautiful last night.''

''...''

While I turned the other way, blushing, Lyra kept nuzzling against me—against my chest, to be exact. She really loved this part of me.

Neither of us said anything for a period. Even the dust particles that usually danced in the rays of sunlight now drifted lazily, as if afraid of disturbing us. We ended up lying on the bed for the better part of the morning. Lyra held me tightly, her smile unfading, her eyes gentle.

...How long had it been since I saw her like this?

Thinking back, Lyra had worked so hard to get to where she was today. I could claim I had helped her grow, but she did most of the work herself. If she weren't so disciplined and diligent, I would still have loved her, yet I couldn't possibly hold such a hope that she could defeat Astaroth like I did now.

I admired Lyra for her resilience. But no matter how resilient one was, they wouldn't be immune to fatigue. I hadn't really thought about how she was constantly learning, training, and overworking herself without much rest. It made my heart ache.

''...?''

The girl looked up at me puzzledly as I pressed her head deeper into my chest. In response, I smiled at her and stroked her hair, ''You've worked hard until now.'' I whispered.

Lyra's eyes briefly widened, but she quickly buried her face into my cleavage, hiding.

I thought that sight was adorable.

But we stayed like that for a long time. It was a rare, quiet moment between us. With everything that was going on these days... it seemed as though we were missing this sort of interaction. So, I decided to put aside those grim thoughts, those grim matters, and enjoy the current atmosphere.

As I continued to stroke Lyra's head, I could feel her body further relaxing. Her purrs were low but soft, resonating across my body. Looking at it like this, she really did resemble a lioness. Or a tigeress.

Wasn't she just a kitten a few years ago...?

Just then, Lyra sharply perked up, as if sensing my thoughts. She grabbed both of my cheeks, then closed in very naturally and kissed me. Admittedly, I didn't feel much of a will to resist.

''Mhmp...''

The heroine kissed me passionately, though it carried more affection than lust. It wasn't the kind of sticky tongue-meshing ones we had yesterday, but one that expressed her sincere feelings.

After parting, she burrowed into my neck.

''...I love you,'' Lyra said. ''I'm serious.''

''...''

I refrained from returning the word 'love' to her. I was certain I loved her as a family member, but to ask if I could truly date her... I wasn't so certain. Still, Lyra didn't take it the wrong way.

Pulling me even tighter, the heroine spoke determinedly, ''So, I won't let you die. I'll fight for you, even if it takes my life fighting.''

''...Don't throw your life away like that, idiot,'' I muttered.

Well... I wasn't the one to say that, but I did.

Afterward, the day proceeded as usual. We had lunch together, spent some time together in the afternoon, then Lyra had to tend to the house's matters in the evening.

Still, she made it back just before dinner. Once again, we sat side by side, watching TV as we ate.

''...You're going tomorrow, right?'' I hesitantly asked. ''How about... staying another day?''

It felt wrong to say that when I was the one delegating tasks to her in the first place, but I thought it wouldn't hurt for her to rest another day or two. I thought she would want to stay, too, considering she now could... have fun with me, I suppose.

But Lyra shook her head.

''I want to, but if I stagnate, it'll not work out.'' She said.

''...I see.''

I smiled bitterly. The exchange ended there, but the night was still young. Lyra had chosen to work harder, and I, feeling guilty for putting her in such a situation, vowed to accommodate her further.

Yes, like... warming her bed before she went away.

It was unthinkable that things would turn out this way, really.