The next day.
"Honestly, you idiot. I told you not to do that. Now look, you've caught a cold."
Big Duck Duck scolded him in annoyance as she tucked Ye Feng into bed.
Her cold seemed to have transferred to him; she had recovered completely that same night.
But her husband, who had tried a taste of 39 degrees, had fallen ill.
Lying in bed, his face was flushed with fever, a visible crimson blush on his cheeks.
But seeing her husband, who was usually as vigorous as a dragon, now curled up in bed like a sick cat, a teasing and doting look appeared in Big Duck Duck's eyes.
"Serves you right for always bullying Bronya."
Big Duck Duck huffed, sitting on the edge of the bed to get dressed.
The morning bedroom was shrouded in the light and shadows of the dawn.
The collar of her exquisitely tailored black blazer was open, revealing a white button-down shirt and tie that hugged her magnificent curves, making one worry it might burst at any moment.
Two smooth, perfectly rounded long legs were encased in form-fitting women's dress trousers.
To pull off this style of trousers, one needed an impeccable pair of legs, and Big Duck Duck's were just that. Not only did they have the perfect length, but they also showcased the soft, beautiful curves and voluptuous tension unique to legs.
Dress trousers, high heels.
The refined and capable silver-haired beauty exuded an alluring charm with her every move.
"Not wearing black stockings?" Ye Feng couldn't help but ask.
Big Duck Duck's black pantyhose were a treasure.
Never mind tasting them; just one sniff could strengthen the body and straighten the spirit.
Big Duck Duck shot Ye Feng a glare. "How can you wear black stockings with trousers?"
"…Then how about changing your outfit?"
"No, I'm wearing this today."
Seeing the craving in Ye Feng's eyes, Big Duck Duck added, "To be precise, I'll be wearing this until you get better."
She knew her husband all too well.
If she were to walk around in front of him in black pantyhose, he would surely drag his sick body out of bed.
However…
Ye Feng looked at the small feet peeking out from under Big Duck Duck's trousers. They, too, were a treasure.
In the hazy, clear light, her snow-white, slender feet were imbued with a soul, as tender and smooth as freshly peeled eggs, as silky and white as milk curd.
Her bare feet rested on the floor. From the end of her calf, a gentle curve flowed smoothly down her instep to her delicate, rounded toes, while the back curved like a crescent moon, gently pressing against her round ankle.
The crimson on her toenails shone with a crystalline luster.
As translucent as a work of art in a glass display case.
Bronya didn't have a habit of painting her toenails, but she couldn't resist Ye Feng's persuasion.
Fair, delicate snow-feet, paired with a crimson that reflected a glossy sheen, were simply filled to the brim with tension.
The color red was seductive and bold, synonymous with sexiness and nobility, but it was also extremely demanding, difficult for an ordinary person to pull off.
However, Big Duck Duck's beautiful feet could be both "plain and unadorned" and exquisitely decorated. Either way, they were utterly captivating.
Seeing Ye Feng's gaze fixed upon them, Bronya felt as if her feet were being scorched by fire.
Her toes wiggled shyly, the pinkish soles trying to hide behind each other, but the smooth, snow-white arch of her foot could not be completely concealed. Through the fine, translucent skin of her instep, faint blue veins were barely visible.
"…U-Um, we're out of cold medicine. Bronya will go down and buy a few more boxes. Dear, you get some rest."
Big Duck Duck's snow-white, slender feet padded against the cool floor as she fled the bedroom.
Lying in bed, Ye Feng recalled Big Duck Duck's fair, snow-white feet and instantly felt his spirits lift. He felt like he could devour three bowls of rice.
Even after leaving Ye Feng's line of sight, Bronya could still feel the burning heat in her feet, a tingling sensation that made her heart race.
She couldn't help but stomp her foot. "Honestly, all he thinks about every day is this kind of stuff…"
But then, the thought that her husband was so infatuated with her body made the corners of her lips curve up slightly, and her steps became lighter.
---o---
St. Freya Academy, Valkyrie Dormitories.
[Guyver Armor, activate.]
Upon inputting the command, the exoskeleton would carry her numb legs, allowing them to float.
Even with the assistance of artificial intelligence, some complex command sets required real-time compilation.
Fortunately, Bronya herself was a top-tier hacker.
Although the operation was complex and not as flexible as healthy legs, it did solve the problem of mobility.
Aside from the lack of a "feet-on-the-ground" sensation, there wasn't much of a difference.
From a combat perspective, this method of movement could even be more effective in certain situations.
But even so…
"What is this feeling in Bronya's heart…"
Banya murmured, staring at her own legs.
Even at the moment her legs were corroded during the X-10 Experiment, Bronya's heart had not wavered.
But now, was she feeling sad?
"No, it's not sadness… is it longing? A longing for the life in the dream."
I could have endured the darkness, if I had never seen the light.
Bronya didn't think she was living in darkness.
She had Mei-neechan, the idiot Kiana, and everyone else at the academy.
Bronya believed that this period was comparable to the time when she first met Seele.
"But, why…"
Bronya didn't understand.
No, she didn't want to admit it.
She had indeed been influenced by the dream.
In that continuous dream, Aratoh's popularity had soared, on the verge of taking the world by storm.
The previous coercion by that perverted woman, far from making Bronya shrink back, had instead made her and her husband's bond even stronger.
And also…
"Why did it feel so real…"
Bronya hugged her arms tightly.
Logically, feelings that had never been experienced could not be reproduced in a dream.
But…
A faint blush appeared on Bronya's face.
It felt really good.
At first, she had been very resistant, but after doing it with her husband, she had gradually become addicted.
Otherwise, she would never have agreed to do it in the office, in the bathroom…
Of course, Bronya would never admit it, believing it was her husband who had forced her.
But… this was Bronya's dream.
In reality, it was what she desired, wasn't it?
Bronya clutched her head.
The more she thought about it, the more of a mess her mind became.
Yes, it felt good.
Bronya admitted it.
But to crave it so shamelessly? Absolutely not!
Bronya clenched her fists tightly, though she wasn't sure what she was fighting against.
"Huh?"
Just as her mind was in turmoil, a flash of seductive red entered her vision.
Her toenails, which should have been clear and translucent, were now painted the same crimson as in her dream.
"!!"
She clearly remembered that the color on her toenails had been applied by her husband.
He liked it very much.