The next morning.
Shido felt refreshed as the morning sun streamed through the window, especially after his nightly activities with Clementine. Turning his head to the side, he saw her still asleep, her naked body curled up like a kitten as she hugged his waist. Seeing her like this, Shido smiled, thinking how the once-crazed murderer had become so docile in his presence.
He brushed her short blonde hair to the side, her brows knitting slightly before relaxing again as he gently patted her head. Shido had to admit, even if she was a little twisted in the head, Clementine was undeniably cute, especially when she moaned and kept begging him to pound her harder last night.
Although she had tone and slender body making her stamina more than ordinary people. It would be hard for Clementine to defeat Shido in bed even if she tried many times, resulting to her own defeat that made her feel crazy about as the feeling of being embraced by Shido was just too good.
With a light kiss on her forehead, Shido dressed up and walk out of the room without waking Clementine as she was too exhausted because of what they did last night.
...
"Good morning, Acheval-san."
"Good morning, Tuare. Where are Rumia and Frieren?"
As Shido came down the stairs, he found Tuare sweeping the floor. She greeted him with a warm smile, and he returned the greeting before gently patting her head, she was simply too cute to resist. Tuare closed her eyes and revealed a blissful smile as she felt Shido's warm hands caressing her hair.
"Rumia-san is cooking breakfast, while Frieren-sama is reading in the living room," Tuare replied, still enjoying his touch.
"I see. Thank you, Tuare." Shido smiled gently at the hardworking girl, who blushed shyly under his gaze.
"T-That's what I should do, Acheval-san."
"Still, don't work yourself too hard, alright? If cleaning the whole house becomes too much, we can always hire a maid. Your health is the most important thing to me, and I'd be in pain if you ever fell sick."
Tuare's heart warmed at the sincere concern in Shido's voice, her body trembling slightly. She was truly glad to finally have someone she could rely on. Still, she wasn't overworking herself, cleaning the house was easy for her, and she genuinely enjoyed it.
"It's okay, Acheval-san. I'm not forcing myself, and I actually enjoy doing house chores. Besides, Rumia-san helps me too."
Looking at her genuine smile, Shido nodded, feeling relieved that Tuare was truly enjoying herself. It was a good sign, especially considering the deep trauma she carried from her days as a slave.
"I see... Then, do your best."
"Un!"
"Alright, I'll head to the living room first."
"Yes."
As she watched his back disappear from sight, Tuare's eyes grew hazy. She couldn't help but recall those strange noises she often heard during the night whenever Clementine returned.
Unlike Rumia, Tuare understood exactly what was happening, her past as a slave had taught her more than she ever wanted to know. She had seen many girls around her forced and violated, turned into playthings for the depraved pleasures of corrupt nobles and merchants.
Fortunately, Tuare had been rescued by Shido and the others before she suffered the same fate. But that was also why she possessed such knowledge, and why Clementine's lewd, unabashed moans were impossible for her to ignore.
Thankfully, Rumia never woke up to hear them, otherwise, that innocence of hers would surely be stained. Tuare alone was enough as she had already been stained with such memories.
Still, a small flicker of envy burned in Tuare's heart. Clementine seemed so fortunate to be embraced, cherished, and pampered by Shido. If possible, Tuare wished she could experience that warmth too. But Tuare was just a mere slave, even though Shido said that she was no longer a slave, Tuare had a low self esteem so she didn't think that Shido would be interested in her body at all.
If Shido knew what was going through Tuare's mind, he would have been speechless, and probably scolded her. She wasn't "dirty" at all. In fact, she had a gentle temperament and a clean, unblemished body. To say he wasn't interested in her would be completely wrong.
The only reason Shido hadn't "eaten" Tuare yet was simply a matter of timing and atmosphere. Opportunities were rare, Tuare was almost never alone, as she spent most of her time with Rumia or Frieren. The chances for such a moment just didn't come often.
Still, as Tuare glanced toward the living room, she knew she wasn't the only one aware of Shido and Clementine's secret affair. She had witnessed Frieren the previous night, peeking into Shido's room… while shamelessly pleasuring herself.
However, she didn't try to make Frieren know that she saw her. She didn't want to create any awkwardness between them. With a small sigh, she returned to sweeping the dust from the floor, all the while imagining how wonderful it might feel to be held in Shido's arms.
...
"You're up early. Didn't get enough sleep?"
Seeing Frieren casually flipping through the pages of a book about magic and seeping tea in the living room. Shido curiously asked as he notice the small eye bags under her eyes, though he know the reason why she didn't get enough sleep.
Frieren glanced up at him with her typical, unreadable expression, her tea cup still poised in her hands. Outwardly, she looked perfectly at ease. Inwardly, however, she was quietly scolding Shido.
'Who's fault do you think it is?!'
Of course, she didn't say that out loud, if she did, Shido would definitely start questioning how she knew. And there was no way she could admit she had been peeking at their lovemaking until dawn. Just the thought of him finding out made her want to curl up and die from embarrassment.
"I got caught up in this book," Frieren said smoothly, "so I ended up reading until midnight."
It was a flawless lie, delivered without the slightest twitch, though if one look closely, they would see her cheeks turned slightly red. Shido caught the subtle change in her expression and found her excuse amusing, but he decided not to press the matter. Better to let it slide than risk provoking her wrath.
The two stayed quietly occupied with their own activities in the living room until Rumia arrived to invite them for breakfast. Around the same time, Clementine came downstairs, stretching and yawning.
Her outfit, as usual, was on the revealing side, showing off a toned abdomen, the pale curves of her cleavage, and her slender, shapely thighs.
The other girls were long accustomed to this side of her, but still, they couldn't help glancing at Shido each time she appeared like this, hoping to catch the faintest hint of a reaction. However, they were always left disappointed as Shido never gave even the slightest sign that he'd noticed.
Yet Clementine often clung to Shido's back, pressing her ample breasts against him without a hint of shame. The bold display always made Rumia blush, though it also stirred a flicker of suspicion about the nature of their relationship, she secretly puffed her cheeks, pouting at how close the two were and it made her a bit jealous.
Breakfast soon followed, and they ate together while chatting, the warm atmosphere filling Shido's home with a sense of comfort and belonging.