Chapter 169

"Liar! I'll bite you!"

Unable to conceal her smile at their rather close relationship, she was happy that not only had Igor gotten stronger, but he also got a very strong companion, a companion in the form of Trihexa.

Though, after seeing the fabled Beast of Apocalypse like this, her worldview certainly has been shattered.

Regardless…

[As long as you are happy, my lord. It brings me joy to see you smile like this.]

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|DxD|

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Shuri was listless in thought. The curtains to her room were closed, leaving her to lie alone in the dark on her bed. Garmed in her purple nightdress, she was slightly cold due to the cold air, but she didn't want to slide a blanket on top of herself yet. The cold helped her think logically, and she needed to be logical for a while.

Curling herself in a foetal position, her mind went through the memories of today. The most prominent memory was the scene under the tree. The hug felt so wrong, yet so right. His touch, his warmth, his scent…everything felt so perfect when she was in his arms.

Looking back on it now, what she did was a shameful action. A woman of her age being held by a boy who looked fifteen years her junior would not be perceived well.

[Sigh…if only it was easy.]

Her subtle affections for him were easier to manage when he looked younger. When he looked fifteen, it was easier to dismiss the budding affections that had formed when she saw his memories. It was even easier when he seemed so carefree like a child his age should've been.

But now…

[What do I do?]

…now, he'd grown. Despite their brief interactions, she had seen how those eyes had matured. She hadn't truly gotten the time to accept that fact until she was left alone to stew in her own thoughts.

Her mind once again flashed to what happened with Baraquiel. She'd seen Aurelia's memories of what happened in the Underworld. It was completely shocking to see the events that had transpired.

From Baraquiel almost dying to him being suddenly possessed was something that had her heart almost jump out of her chest. Igor wasn't specific when he told her, but she never expected that he had quite literally tore a hole through her former husband.

Then again, she wasn't any better since she had been fully willing to stab him in the heart back in Cuba. The multitude of events that happened in the Underworld were very worrying, particularly when he was very close to being possessed.

It was only fortunate that by the time Aurelia stopped sharing her memories, Igor had regained his control.

Still…

[He did all that for me…]

He unhesitantly went into the Underworld and confronted Baraquiel despite the massive risks associated with his actions.

[He was angry for me, for us…]

Whether he was aware or not, he risked life and limb to complete what many would think of as a foolish action. But to her, it was just further proof of how much he cared for those he considered his loved ones.

It was a horrid thought to have, but to think that what made him lose control in rage was because he cared made her blush like a teenager.

And by the gods, his appearance when he finally returned home had poked all of her buttons. That shirt he wore was white, yet it was so tight against his body that she could see the outlines of his chest.

His hair at the time was hanging loosely at his sides, a different look from his usual ponytail that gave him that rough look. But that paled in comparison to the warmth he radiated when he hugged the kids. That unhidden love in his eyes as he kissed their foreheads made butterflies fly in her stomach.

It had almost been an hour after dinner and she still found it hard to sleep. A part of her regretted her actions now. After she had hugged him, it had become impossible to look him in the eye. She was a fully matured woman who had fought in a war and also experienced death itself.

Yet for the life of her, she couldn't look at him without her cheeks heating up. The only way she could even get through dinner with her dignity intact was keeping her head down. The last thing she wanted was looking at him and stupidly ending up in a daze like an amateur caught in an illusion.

She could admit one thing however. That seemingly harmless hug had opened up a set of floodgates that were now impossible to close. Now, it was no longer enough to have him just close by.

[I want him.]

She needed him very, very, very close to her-

"No."

Abruptly opening her eyes, she noticed her hand slowly snuck between her thighs.

"..."

She felt disgusted with herself. Igor was a child…a child that had grown into a man-

[No!]

She didn't want these feelings, but it had grown considerably harder and harder to deal with them as time went by, especially after today. The more she thought about Baraquiel, the more her heart yearned for Igor. He had done so much for her and her daughter that she couldn't not cherish him. And no matter how much she tried to ignore it, those feelings of gratitude had slowly turned to love.

His tall frame, his vibrant smile, his serious gaze, and his wide back were things she couldn't get out of her mind. But most of all, his ever consistent dependability and care for his family had wormed her way into her heart.

No matter how much she would deny it, she wanted him. She wanted him with everything she had. But did she deserve him?

[I don't.]

It didn't matter that she wanted him. What mattered is if he would want her back. She had been a married woman and had already given birth. She does not and will never regret having her daughter, but it was a fact that she was a 'used' woman.

[He deserves a virgin, someone who is untainted. Someone who is…young.]

It was a brutal reality that she couldn't escape. Many men would be willing to date her, but men of Igor's calibre wouldn't. Kings wouldn't take non-virgins as their women. And while Igor certainly had the potential to become one, she certainly wouldn't regain her maidenhood.

Despite all this, she didn't regret anything. Her love for Baraquiel once existed, and her former self died with it. From the memories she saw through Igor, it was a happy and fulfilling life. Despite its bitter end, she would always cherish it for the good it brought.

[Perhaps some day, it won't hurt.]

She would get over this. She would reconcile with Baraquiel and over time, she was sure that her affections for Baraquiel would be rekindled…she hoped.

Drip…drip…

She truly…truly hoped that would be the case-

"Aunty."

"?!"

The voice sounded so close to her ears that her senses went haywir-

"Calm down. It's me, aunty."

"..."

She couldn't believe it. He was here. She could feel his breath on her ear and it made her body tingle. But the gods be damned. She was not going to act like a teenager again just because he was close.

Slowly, Shuri turned towards him. She was thankful that it was dark so she didn't have to see his face in great…detail…

[...]

Her thoughts slowly cut off as her brief sense of relief jumped out the window.

[Too close…]

Her heart began beating quicker. If she lifted her head just a bit, she could-

"I didn't want to intrude like this, aunty. But I could sense you weren't alright. Your energy was all over the place."

It had been just over fifteen minutes since Igor returned from the forest with Aurelia. Initially, he was going to sleep when he finally couldn't ignore Shuri's turbulent emotions.

He had focused his senses on her as well as Akeno and Asia out of habit when her abnormal energy flow caught his attention.

Now, he wanted to know exactly why she was like this.

"I'm not taking no for an answer anymore, aunty. Tell me what's wrong."

"..."

Shuri's mind was elsewhere as she took him in. What briefly drew her attention was the small black diamond tattoo on his forehead.

What it was for and why he had it was not her concern. Rather, what enraptured her were his eyes…his cerulean gaze that was filled with genuine worry for her. Even in the dark, she could see them very clearly.

It was those same set of worried eyes that she saw when she awoke. And now that she saw them again, her heart started to beat a bit faster.

Badump…Badump..Badump.Badump Badump Badump

[So close…]

They had never been so close to each other before. He could see he was waiting for some sort of answer from her. But she couldn't even remember his question. So entranced was she by his eyes that she couldn't even think properly.

[I want him…]

Her eyes flickered to his lips. Like a magnet, they attracted her. She wanted to know how they felt against hers, how they tasted…everything

[I want you, Dimori-kun.]

Closing the distance between them, somewhere in the back of her head, she could hear a very tiny voice shouting something indistinct. So smothered was she by desire, she took no heed to deciphering what it was.

[Just this once.]

Chuu~

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AN

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I am a normal person with normal societal views. But for Shuri, I will not call FBI.