Senior, I've Come to Visit - Side Story 7

But the sense of loss from being separated from the pillar that felt like a part of my body made this curled position feel the most comfortable.

“Eloise.”

Nardi lay behind me, facing the same direction, and pressed his body close. He rested his chin on top of my head and wrapped his arm around my upper body. I drifted in the lingering pleasure, basking in the refreshing, languid calm that followed climax and release. Then, feeling hot, I squirmed forward.

“It’s hot….”

“…What did you promise earlier?”

Ah, right.

I’d promised not to avoid him just because it was hot. And to tell him I loved him often.

I thought I should never make promises while drunk again.

“I love you.”

A promise already made had to be kept.

“I love you very, very much too.”

I silently nodded. Curled up like a squirrel, I was completely enveloped by him as he pressed our skin together. Feeling his warm… no, hot body heat, I fell asleep.

A cool autumn breeze drifted in through the open window.

Outside was dim, while the research lab glowed with several lights turned on. I loved these quiet hours, working alone at the desk by the window.

Soon, Nardi would be leaving on a subjugation mission, and I planned to visit Iella and Rubel. My family had been doing well, and most importantly, Iella was pregnant with her second child. I was making self-defense magic tools and toys imbued with magic as gifts for the baby soon to be born. Gifts for Iella and Rubel as well.

The self-defense magic tools weren’t because of any specific danger, just in case life threw something unpredictable their way. The issue with the queen, the one who’d given me so much trouble last year, had long since stopped being a concern.

After the letter in which she said she wanted everything forgotten, the queen never contacted me again. Whether her dark schemes had failed or she’d simply given up, I didn’t know. But Yeni Shapiro and her child were both safe. With peaceful days continuing, anything related to the queen had faded from my mind.

A peaceful life without a single worry.

Feeling comfortable, I focused on my work. It was a toy that produced colorful lights when a button was pressed.

I’d been working on it for a long time when I heard familiar footsteps approach.

“Are you busy, Eloise?”

“No.”

When I turned, I saw Nardi wearing an apron.

“Ah.”

Something approached my lips, and without knowing what it was, I opened my mouth. He popped a small, warm piece of food inside. As I chewed slowly to taste it, I realized it was one of my favorites, a very plain, simple bread with almost no extra ingredients.

“It’s good.”

“It’s good? I also made a whole pot of stew, so all you need to do is heat it up. I marinated the meat too, so you just have to grill it. You can do that, right?”

“Of course, don’t worry.”

“I’ll check when I get back to see if you ate well.”

He leaned down and tapped my stomach while I sat in the chair.

“Mm.”

When a subjugation mission approached, Nardi always had endless little worries… most of them useless. The only thing he should have been worrying about was his own safety.

“I said I’m fine. You should rest. You need to get proper rest before you leave.”

“This is resting. While I’m gone, you need to eat well and sleep well, my love.”

“I will. You can’t get hurt.”

Even in this peaceful life, I realized there was still something to worry about. As a wizard belonging to the First Wizard Division of the Safety Department, Nardi was always dispatched to the most dangerous regions. I often worried he might get hurt.

“I won’t get hurt.”

“? You got hurt last summer.”

I widened my eyes in disbelief. The large wound across his chest was still vivid in my memory. He’d gotten seriously injured, yet now he claimed he never got hurt? Worse, he suffered that injury right after leaving on bad terms, so I’d been shocked and unsettled for a long time.

“Back then… it was just one exceptional case. Aside from that, I’ve never gotten hurt. And it’ll be the same from now on.”

“….”

It was true that it had been the only time, but you never knew with life. Monster subjugation was always dangerous.

I decided to finish the toy tomorrow and spend the rest of today with Nardi before he left.

I stood up, wrapped my arms tightly around his waist, and buried my face in his chest.

“Still, you have to be careful. If you get hurt, I’ll be mad.”

He inhaled sharply, whether from real surprise or just pretending.

“No, if Eloise gets mad at me, I won’t be able to live.”

So dramatic.

“Then don’t get hurt.”

“I’ll never get hurt, so just love me.”

“Alright.”

I patted Nardi’s back, the man who always begged for my love. I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular when he suddenly stiffened, then let out a soft sigh.

“Haa….”

Ah, no way.

I felt déjà vu and tried to pull back, but he pulled me in tightly. His center, pressed against my belly, rose hard and pushed heavily against me.

“You made me hard, Eloise.”

“What, what did I even do?”

“Do you know how good it feels when your little hands pat my back?”

“Ah…!”

He suddenly lifted me up in his arms and strode forward. Startled, I instinctively wrapped my arms and legs around him.

“And when you cling to me like this, it feels amazing too.”

In an instant, we were out of the lab, passing through the warm smell of freshly baked bread and various delicious scents. He carried me into the bedroom next to the lab and placed me on the bed. Standing tall, he stripped off his apron and then his shirt. I panicked and scooted backward.

“Nardi, let’s just relax and sleep early today. You have a subjugation tomorrow. You should get good rest, right?”

I’d only wanted him to lie around lazily instead of cooking, not to have sex again. We’d already done it earlier. How many times a day did he plan to do this? He never seemed tired.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“No, I’m worried about myself….”

“I have a gift for you, Eloise.”

“A gift? Out of nowhere?”

“A surprise. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

Whatever it was, I didn’t want it. He often gave me flowers, books, clothes, accessories, and all sorts of gifts, but judging from the mood, this wasn’t one of those.

“Come on.”

Pressed by his urging, I hesitated, then closed my eyes. I lifted both hands and put them together. He gently stroked my hair.

“Good, that’s it.”

“What is it… at least give me a hint.”

“Hmm, it’s something you really need.”

Something I needed?

“I don’t need anything.”

If I needed something, I bought it right away, so there was nothing lacking.

“No, you need this. Since I’ll be gone for a few days on the mission.”

It wasn’t his first subjugation, so what was he talking about….

He walked toward the drawer. I heard the drawer slide open and the sound of him rummaging through it. Eyes still shut tightly, anxiety crept up as I waited.

Then he returned. Something big and heavy was suddenly placed on my palms.

Startled, I opened my eyes.

“…!”

What is that…?

“Did it surprise you?”

Nardi picked it up casually.

His hand held an unidentifiable monster.

No, I had a guess, but I didn’t want to believe it.

That flesh-colored club looked extremely familiar in both size and shape. I’d seen it countless times and had it inside me enough to recognize it instantly. It was identical to Nardi’s member.

As if someone had copied it exactly.