Chapter 41: New Ways to Play with a Hammock~
Night had fallen.
The blue sea was calm as glass, reflecting the stars that filled the sky. The Milky Way stretched endlessly above and below, as if heaven and ocean were one unbroken river of light.
Aonami shifted her head slightly from time to time, forcing Amatsuki Toki—seated on the serpent's smooth scales—to hold Roy tightly for balance.
Pandora hovered nearby with a smug glow, clearly pleased, while Aonami hissed softly and flicked her tongue as if to curry favor.
Roy's lackey count: +1.
Roy felt the warmth of Toki's hands as they sat high above the cooling sea, the night breeze brushing against them as they held each other close.
"Is it cold?" he asked.
"Mm…" Toki nodded, pulling her kimono tighter.
"How about we go down?" she suggested quickly.
The Milky Way mirrored on the ocean was breathtaking, but the air up here was getting colder by the minute.
"Pandora!" Roy called.
"Coming!" Pandora darted toward him, landing in Roy's arms and radiating a comforting heat—not scalding, just perfectly warm.
"Now I feel warm," Roy said with a grin. "I just need my sister to hold me."
Toki sighed softly and wrapped her arms around him.
"You little rascal…"
"What are you talking about, sister? I don't understand~"
Toki tugged his hand gently. Roy pretended to wince, though it didn't hurt at all.
"It's so fake. I can't even pinch your skin—you lie to me every time," she murmured, brushing his cheek with her slender fingers.
"Don't you like me like this, sister?" Roy tilted his head, smiling up at her.
"No, that's not what I—" she began, shaking her head quickly. Her soft blue hair brushed against Roy's face.
"So that means you do like me~"
"Yes—no…"
Toki blinked. Was this a word game? He's teasing me again…
She chose silence instead, hugging him quietly and staring at the glittering stars.
She couldn't tell what she truly felt toward Roy anymore.
To call it a sister's affection would be a lie to herself… and deep down, she knew it.
Roy, nestled in her arms, enjoyed the warmth while absently rubbing Pandora's glowing body.
It was like a strange nesting-doll arrangement—Toki holding Roy, Roy holding Pandora.
Roy was satisfied, Pandora was delighted… as for Toki, only she knew what she felt.
"Ah~ slow down, that feels great! Master hasn't favored Pandora in ages!" Pandora moaned contentedly. The little sun had clearly been well-trained.
Roy chuckled and patted Aonami's head.
Sensing the mood, the serpent froze and stopped shifting, letting them sit quietly above the sea.
Serving humans for a hundred years wasn't so bad, Aonami thought. At least it didn't have to deal with the giants.
The lifespans of sea serpents were far longer than that of humans like Roy anyway.
[Intimacy with Amatsuki Toki +1!]
Roy was surprised. Lately, his bond with Toki had been rising painfully slow. The higher it went, the harder it was to increase—but a single point was still progress.
Toki, preoccupied with their age gap, always convinced herself he was just a younger brother.
But without realizing it, she'd been drawing closer to him all the same.
"All right, time to eat," Roy said, releasing Pandora and rubbing his growling stomach.
"Good, let's go back quickly," Toki replied at once, clearly eager to leave.
Pandora's warmth was pleasant, but sitting up here was still terrifying.
Roy patted Aonami's head, and the serpent obediently lowered them to the deck.
"Good girl," Roy said, stroking her scales before waving. Aonami rumbled happily and slithered forward, towing the ship through the calm sea.
If survival meant flattering a human child—so be it.
Later, after dinner, Roy and Toki tidied the cabin before preparing to rest.
That night, Roy chose the hammock while Toki took the wooden bed.
Ever since their last accidental kiss, they hadn't shared the same space again.
Still, Roy didn't feel he'd lost anything. In truth, not being hugged every night was almost a relief.
It was torture being pressed against such a beautiful woman day after day.
He told himself that one day, when he grew up, he'd be the one to hold her.
"I'll sleep in the hammock—it's more comfortable," Toki said with a small smile. She wanted to do at least one kind thing for him tonight.
After all, Roy had done so much for her. The least she could give him was a bed.
"Not comfortable?" Roy asked, tapping the hammock's net. Honestly, even a bed of nails wouldn't bother him.
"Why don't you just sleep together again? So troublesome," Pandora muttered from the side.
"Okay~" Toki agreed lightly. She slipped off her shoes, her bare feet pale in the lantern light, then gave Roy a playful push and climbed into the hammock.
"Get down!" Roy protested. "Demon woman, this is torture!"
"You can sleep on the bed if you go down, right? Come on~"
Her tone was teasing, her eyes soft but mischievous. Spending time with Roy had brought out her own playful side.
"Annoying!" Roy grumbled, shifting backward.
The hammock instantly rocked. Toki lost balance and toppled forward, landing squarely on him.
"W-wait—I can't breathe!" Roy wheezed under her weight.
"Hehe, sorry. Just get down—the bed's more comfortable," she said, trying to roll away.
The hammock swung again, tipping them both.
Roy lost his grip and slid right back into her arms.
The sweet scent of Toki's body filled his senses. Flustered, he tried to move aside carefully, afraid the hammock would shake again.
Her face turned pink as she watched him scramble.
Pandora floated nearby, grinning wide. So this is how humans play with hammocks?
Just as Roy managed to slip free, the hammock swayed once more—sending both of them sliding down until they ended up back-to-back, gripping opposite ropes in silence.
Toki wanted him to take the bed, but Roy stubbornly refused.
When their laughter and squirming finally subsided, sleep crept in. Within minutes, both drifted off—one facing left, the other right, their breathing in sync.
Pandora floated lazily to the window, checking that Aonami, Shirahime, and Sumimaru were behaving.
Then he turned back toward the cabin, glancing from the hammock to the wooden bed.
A wicked thought crossed his glowing face.
Maybe… I should just burn that bed.
It's clearly useless now.
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