Aina finally snapped out of that floaty, lightheaded haze—and the moment she did, she felt it. Power, warm and dense, surging through her like a tide that refused to calm.
"T-This… Takumi… what is this?" she breathed, eyes shimmering with moisture as she turned her flushed, temptingly rosy face toward him. Her voice came out as a small, helpless whimper. "Why… why did I suddenly become this strong?"
It felt like a miracle dropping out of the sky and landing squarely in her lap—so unreal it was almost frightening.
Takumi's fingertips traced over her delicate skin as he answered softly, "It's the result of the treatment. If you don't have enough strength, you can't keep the outside air from dirtying you. Aina… you won't have to worry about getting sick ever again."
And right at the end, he leaned close to her elven ear and exhaled a teasing little breath.
"Mmnh…!" Aina shuddered. "Th-Thank you, Takumi-kun… I don't even know how to repay you…"
Her voice shrank to a whisper. Her ears twitched, jumping in tiny, betraying flutters, and with how red she was getting, she looked less like a dignified elf and more like something sweet enough to bite.
Takumi tapped her burning cheek lightly, then smiled. "You're so cute, Aina… I want a kiss as my thank-you. Can I?"
"E-Eh?!" The request hit her like a thunderclap. Aina froze, hands hovering uselessly in the air.
If she refused, it felt rude—after everything he'd done.
If she didn't refuse… it felt dangerous, like stepping over a line she wasn't supposed to cross.
"Uu… I don't know what to do…" She lowered her head like a child being cornered, tugging timidly at his sleeve for help.
Seeing her like that—soft, flustered, unbearably adorable—Takumi stopped waiting for permission.
He lifted her spotless chin, then stole her first kiss, clean and decisive.
Aina's emerald eyes flew wide, a mist of tears instantly pooling at her lashes. She wanted to scold him—wanted to say you can't just do that—but the words refused to form. Her resistance lasted only a few seconds before her strength drained away, leaving her trembling in place.
How long it lasted, she couldn't tell.
Then a voice came from outside the door.
"Takumi-kun~ How is it? How did it go?"
"Uu—!" Aina jolted like she'd been splashed with cold water, gathering what little strength she had to push him away. She turned her face aside, practically burying her head in the blankets.
Takumi straightened his collar and stood with absurd composure, like nothing at all had happened.
"Mhm. Everything went smoothly. Aina is fine. Eina, give us a second."
He patted the ostrich Aina gently, then murmured, "You don't want Eina to walk in and see you like this, right?"
"Uuuuu…" On the verge of crying, Aina scrambled to get herself dressed, hands shaking. Her face stayed scarlet no matter how many deep breaths she tried to take.
By the time she sat beside Takumi again, back straight and hands folded, she looked exactly like a newlywed bride trying desperately to act proper.
Eina walked in—and for a split second, that same impression flickered across her mind. But worry crushed it immediately.
"Mom! How do you feel now?!"
Aina nodded shyly, unable to lift her head. "I'm… completely better, Eina… It's all thanks to Takumi-kun…"
Just saying it made her cheeks burn hotter.
Eina didn't notice anything strange. She burst into tears of relief and hugged Aina tightly.
"Thank God… Mom, I'm so happy. I'm so happy!"
Ever since Eina could remember, Aina had been frail, always needing medicine, always pushing through weakness with a smile. When Eina was little, she'd wanted to help carry the burden—but Aina had forced her to study, forced her to live properly.
All that time had left Eina with guilt she couldn't scrub off.
So now, seeing Aina truly healed—seeing her okay—Eina's joy overflowed until words couldn't hold it.
Takumi gave them both a playful wink. "Alright, you two—I'll get going. My goddess is probably waiting for me back home."
He stood to leave without hesitation. If he lingered any longer after teasing Aina like that, things could spiral fast.
Eina looked like she wanted to keep him there, but Takumi slipped away immediately, not giving her the chance.
"Mm… Why did Takumi-kun leave so quickly?" Eina murmured, her expression full of understanding. "Is he blaming himself because of Mom? But it wasn't his fault… It had to be done."
Aina's face turned even redder.
Had to be done? No—what just happened wasn't just treatment at all.
And Takumi-kun was… Eina's boyfriend, right? So if that was true… then what did that kiss mean?
"Uuu…!" Aina let out a small, cute wail, making Eina glance at her in confusion.
Eina assumed her mother was simply embarrassed. She quickly tried to reassure her. "It's okay, Mom. Takumi-kun is a really good person."
"He is… I know he is… b-but…" Aina twisted the corner of her skirt between her fingers, mumbling without managing a full sentence.
Eina misunderstood again, thinking Aina might be upset about the intimate healing. After all, pure-blood elves were known for disliking contact with men, right?
So Eina started praising Takumi even more—gently, earnestly, trying to convince her.
She had no idea that the more she praised him, the brighter Aina's eyes became.
…
Outside, Takumi's mood was downright excellent.
"Aina is too cute… that petite-mom vibe—absolute peak."
With a bit more effort, taking Aina wouldn't be hard at all. The tricky part would be explaining things to Eina later.
And if he could fold in Aina's second adopted daughter too—three of them together…
"Buy two, get one free… triple the happiness~"
The thought nearly made him whistle right there on the street.
After indulging his imagination for a moment, Takumi reached out with his senses to locate Hestia and the others. The new villa was also in the North Street area.
When he arrived, Haruhime, Lili, and Hestia were already waiting—each dressed in something so blatantly inviting it was practically a declaration of war.
"Welcome back, Takumi-sama!"
"We've been waiting sooo long, Takumi-sama!"
"You two—move! Takumi-kun is mine!"
All three lunged at him at once, nearly crushing him between soft bodies and shameless enthusiasm.
Smack. Smack. Smack.
A few quick slaps later, the three of them immediately dropped to their knees, pouting with puffed cheeks, suddenly too well-behaved to cause trouble.
"Looks like you forgot my strength while I was gone," Takumi said, eyes blazing as he looked them over. "And… I like all of these outfits."
Haruhime wore a red kimono that had clearly been modified—so loose at the shoulders it was practically falling off on purpose, her elegant collarbones and generous cleavage stealing the entire frame of his vision.
Lili had gone full cute-and-lewd with a maid outfit, plus fox ears and a tail from her transformation—sweet, mischievous, and dangerously tempting.
And Hestia… Hestia wasn't even pretending to be subtle. A sheer white veil clung to every curve of her plush, sinful figure, thin enough that it looked like a splash of water would turn it completely transparent. Honestly, it was already halfway there.
Takumi's expression darkened.
Every single one of them was trying to provoke him on purpose.
And it worked.
His fist tightened. "You little—now I'm mad."