Chapter 26

She was wrapped up in warmth and comfort as she woke up. She stretched, feeling well-rested but burrowing deeper into the source of warmth. There was a reason why she usually had the entrace to her hollow facing the sunrise; the light had to hit her square in the face or else she'd never get out of bed.

Bed? Her eyes flew open. What greeted her wasn't the familiar world of white and pink that she was used to, but the expanse of a glistening chest that clearly belonged to a fine male specimen. And she was currently busy clinging onto said male, a leg thrown over him and drooling onto his chest.

She froze for a second, horrified and then quickly raised her hand to clean up the mess. And it was just her luck that her hand was captured instantly. She flinched, ashamed at being caught red-handed.

"Good morning, little luna," Rex said from above her head and she guiltily raised her head to look up at his amused face, his twinkling eyes just as bloodshot as they were the night before. "I trust that you slept well?"

"G-good morning, Rex. Yes, I slept very well," she said, ignoring the new pet name and giving him an awkward smile as she removed the leg draped over him. "How about you? Didn't you get enough sleep?" she asked, concerned, wondering if she was partly at fault. Partly. Because he chose to get into her personal space himself.

Instead of answering, Rex's eyes drifted low on her face and a pink tongue darted out to swipe at his lower lip. And she suddenly realised that she had saliva smeared on her face. She attempted to wipe it off but he didn't let go of her hand, his arm around her waist pulling her closer as he lowered his head and slowly licked the side of her chin, her cheek and the corner of her lips.

"Sweet," he said as he pulled away, grinning at her thunderstruck expression. "Mira, I'm a seven-star orc. I'm actually very strong so I don't need to sleep as you do," he bragged, releasing her hand to grip her thigh, pulling her leg back on top of him. "But I did have a wonderful night, so let's not get out of bed yet."

"You! You...," she stammered, "Y-you licked me!"

"Sorry. It's the only thing I could think about all night, and morning," he admitted, giving her puppy dog eyes, seemingly apologetic but also as if he had no other choice. "But if you dislike it then I won't do it again." She opened her mouth and then closed it, choosing to drop it since the wet spot on his chest was still right in her face. Touché.

"If you don't need sleep then why do you even have a bed?" she retorted before she recalled his polyamorous lifestyle. "You know what? Don't answer that." He grinned and she scrambled to get off of him, wary of his seductive scent that she now knew would set her veins on fire.

"You could still use some sleep, trust me. Try and take a nap while I use the bathroom real quick," she said, not waiting for his response as she scampered off the almost three-foot high bed, dashing towards where she assumed the bathroom was. Her bladder was kinda full.

"Luna." He appeared in her way, hugging her when she crashed into him. "I got you new clothes," he said, showing her the bunch of clothes in his hand before sweeping her up in his arms like she weighed nothing, carrying her through the doorway and turning left to walk down a short corridor. "Let's have a bath together before you change. Then we can go eat."

"No!" she yelled, struggling. "Put me down! I can bathe by myself!"

He went down a few steps before putting her down on smooth stone floors. "I know, but I'm your male now. Let me help you."

"No! We're not bathing together!" She whirled in on him and angrily jabbed his abs with her finger, glaring up at him. "And stop touching me as you damn please and carrying me around like I'm some fucking doll! I can walk by myself!"

"But I'm your male. I..." He paused, giving her more puppy dog eyes as she rolled hers. Well, he did say he was a dog. "I only want to serve you," he said, reaching out a hand towards her but then caught himself, letting it drop midair. He straightened.

"I apologise for touching you without your permission. I didn't mean any disrespect. I... I won't do it again." He looked so nervous then that she instantly deflated. A pretty face was truly her Achilles heel.

She sighed, taking a moment to glance at the room. High ceilings and tall pillars lined the space just like the rest of the mansion and at the center of the room, a large rectangular pool was built into the floor, it's clear water sparkling in the sunlight streaming in through arched windows.

"No, I'm sorry for yelling at you," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I just..." Of course her fingers got tangled in the bird's nest. She sighed again, lowering her hand. "Look, I know you're only trying to help but you don't need to serve me or whatever. I might not be as strong as you are but I'm not as helpless as you think I am either. Just give me a bit of space, okay?"

"Okay, I'll try," he said, "Let me—May I comb your hair for you?" Her eyes widened as a shiny metal comb appeared in Rex's free hand. She could clearly tell that he hadn't used a spatial ability.

"No, I'll do it." She chuckled, holding out her hand. "Nice try though." She watched as the comb transformed in his hand, getting smaller before he handed it to her. "Did you make this using mana?" she asked as she observed the shiny comb that fit perfectly in her hand.