Looking at the heavy clouds in the distance, he sighed deeply. Then, seeking comfort, he buried his face in Ariel's hair, enjoying her familiar scent and the pleasant softness of her small frame.
The girl, who had been happily swinging her legs on his lap, suddenly shifted awkwardly.
"Actually..."
"What is it?"
"I've been wondering... maybe this relationship between us should end."
"Wait... are you breaking up with me all of a sudden?"
"No. It's just... I'm going to die soon, aren't I? So... if all that's left in the end are painful memories, wouldn't it be better to end things sooner? Because... isn't short pain better than long pain?"
As she spoke, Ariel lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet his eyes.
Ash froze for a moment before his brows drew together. Disbelief filled his face as he instinctively hugged her tighter.
"What nonsense are you talking about? End what? Die? I'm not letting you decide something like that so easily."
"But... you know too, don't you? I'm not as strong as Shiro. In the end, I'm still just a coward. So if that's really how things end, I..."
Her voice was weak, stripped of its usual liveliness, carrying only helplessness and sadness.
Before, she could still deceive herself into believing there might be hope.
Now... Everything had already been decided.
"You think being a coward is enough of an excuse? Didn't we already agree? You're mine. You're my possession. Since when do you get to decide to leave whenever you want?"
As he spoke, he gently lifted her chin so she had no choice but to meet his gaze.
"Whether you live or die, no matter what happens in the future, I'm not letting you run away. Understand?"
"Ah... ahaha... You...", Ariel panicked, her face turning bright red.
"Stop thinking about pointless things. And don't try accusing me of anything right now. As long as I'm here, I won't let anything bad happen. All you have to do is stay in my arms like always. Leave everything else to me. Got it?"
His voice was unwavering, and he held her even tighter, kissing her before she could continue talking about leaving.
Caught up in the moment, the intimacy that had been interrupted before the battle finally continued from where it had stopped several days earlier.
Then, using spatial magic while holding her in his arms, he returned with her to her bedroom, making the Demon King from another world completely his in every sense.
As though doing so could keep her by his side forever and prevent her from ever thinking about leaving again.
———
On the large, slightly messy yet luxurious bed, Ariel lay atop Ash like a lazy kitten, resting her chin on her hands.
Her face was flushed with shyness, but her eyes were filled with affection as she quietly stared at him in the hazy morning light, lost in thought.
"What is it?", Ash finally asked, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze.
"I just feel like... because of the difference in our sizes, you treated me pretty roughly last night," Ariel pouted slightly, sounding half teasing and half complaining.
"Don't look at me like that. I just... got carried away."
Ash scratched his head awkwardly, unsure how to explain himself.
Shiro's body was fragile, so he always had to be extremely gentle with her, as if handling delicate porcelain.
But Ariel...
Before he realized it, he'd let out some of the frustration that had built up inside him.
He genuinely felt guilty about it.
Still, it wasn't entirely his fault. Sophia had spent days interrupting him, deliberately teasing him, and never giving him a chance to be alone with Shiro. With everything piling up, he simply lost control for a moment.
Though... he also felt it was partly Ariel's fault for saying those things.
Well... truthfully, he'd never intended to let Ariel go in the first place.
"Oh, I never called you a pervert. What's with that expression? It's pretty amusing~"
Seeing Ash's conflicted and troubled look, Ariel laughed happily.
The sadness she'd carried the night before seemed to have disappeared completely, and she'd returned to her usual cheerful self.
Just as Ash was about to say something, Ariel suddenly sat on top of him, placed both hands firmly on his chest, lightly licked her lips, and smiled seductively.
"But yesterday you were the one in charge the whole time. So now... isn't it my turn?"
"Wait... your body's really okay?"
"I'm fine~ Why wouldn't I be?", Ariel waved dismissively before growing serious.
"I don't know how much longer I'll live, so... you won't refuse, right? Even if I'm really gone someday, at least there'll still be memories. And if you're sad then, I won't care~"
"That escalated quickly... And what's with this emotional blackmail? Didn't I already say..."
"I believe you. But always being passive isn't my style. So... getting even is important. I do feel a little sorry for Shiro, but in a way it's not my fault either~ I did refuse, so this is all your fault~"
With reckless passion and lingering attachment, the girl leaned down shyly yet forcefully enough to make resistance impossible, sealing his lips with her own.
Just as he had done the day before.
Only this time... their positions were reversed.
And that already broken bed was forced to bear even more than it was meant to that morning.
———
It wasn't until noon that Ash and Ariel finally left the room.
Not long afterward, at the dining table, the way Sophia looked at the two of them became noticeably strange, as though she was about to interrogate them about where they'd gone and what they'd been doing the previous night.
She had guarded Ariel before, only for Shiro to slip through.
Now she'd been guarding Shiro...
Had Ariel taken advantage instead?
Just imagining it made Sophia feel like she was going crazy.
"What... happened?", Shiro tilted her head slightly, her curious gaze moving between the two.
Meanwhile, Sophia's slender fingers repeatedly scratched at the tabletop in agitation, leaving obvious claw marks across the expensive wooden table. At first glance, she looked almost like an enraged ghost.
"Uh... how do I explain this?", Looking at the scratches on the table, Ash felt his scalp go numb. He really didn't know how to answer, so he instinctively turned to Ariel beside him, who was calmly drinking as though nothing had happened.