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Chapter 89

Lenia was being held with her arms pinned behind her back by Christina, and was also on the receiving end of Selina’s paralysis eyes. She half embodied the form of a dragon, spewing out jealousy and anger like a raging fire.

In order to calm her down as soon as possible, I lightly tapped on Dramina’s arm with my left hand.

It was a signal to tell her to please let go of me. Just this should be enough to get through to her.

「Dramina」

Dramina had her face buried in my chest. When I brought my lips to her ear and whispered, as if I were an older sibling scolding his little sister, Dramina raised her face and looked back at me with an extremely regrettable expression.

No, it wasn’t just regrettable. The sadness in her furrowed brows, and the deep sorrow that strongly colored her gaze, and the slight way she pressed her lips together conveyed her grief from having to let go of me better than any words ever could.

Dramina refused to let go, shaking her head side to side in denial.

However, because she could sense Lenia’s murderous aura drastically worsening behind her, and she could acknowledge the predicament Selina and Christina were in while holding Lenia back, Dramina was able to restrain her selfishness.

With a heart full of great reluctance, Dramina schooled the sadness out of her face, and gently smiled as she removed her arms from where they were circled around me. She stepped away from me smoothly, as if swept away by the wind.

As if reflecting on her actions, a shy blush colored her cheeks and she averted her eyes from me.

「I was just so overjoyed to see you again, I ended up acting so childish. Please forget about it, Dran」

「As if. I couldn’t possibly forget how cute you were just now. Even more so if the reason was because of your happiness to see me. As a man, there’s nothing I can take more pride in than that.

I’ll embrace you again, anytime you want」

Upon hearing my words, Dramina broke out into a smile as bright as a small sun.

Hmm, the Dramina who is able to show her honest and innocent side towards me is unbelievably cute.

I unconsciously felt an urge to hug her again forming inside my heart, but if I left Lenia alone any longer, who knows what would happen? So I pushed that feeling down to the depths of my heart for now.

「You really mean it, Dran? Please don’t say you were just kidding later on, okay? If you do, I will cry so much from sadness」

「Yeah, I promise」

「It’s a promise then. I’ll believe in you」

If I go back on my promise, then Dramina might really actually cry. Well, it just goes to show that Dramina just adores me that much.

Having finally let go of me, I lightly stroked the top of Dramina’s head, and I heard a satisfied「Mmm」spill from her lips. Then I turned my feet toward Lenia, who was still being held with her arms behind her back by Christina.

「Lenia」

Her eyes were bloodshot, and her lips were pulled back to bare her teeth, grinding and gnashing, with her anger and jealousy radiating from her whole body. But when she recognized that my attention was on her, she came to her senses a little bit.

「D-D-D-D-Dran-sama! That person, that person #$%&(‘* 」

Hmmm, she was so angry, she was letting out sounds that a human throat usually couldn’t make.

It seems I had been too preoccupied with my hug with Dramina.

If I don’t immediately tend to injured mood, she would most like end up fighting with Dramina right here.

「Christina, Selina, please let go of Lenia now」

「Grr, b-but, are you sure? If we let go of her now, she’s sure to attack Dramina right away」

Even though Christina was using her strengthening magic at full throttle, it seemed like Lenia might be able to break free at any moment, thanks to her monstrous strength and fierce determination. So Christina was worried for Dramina’s safety.

「Attack her? At this rate, she might end up doing much worse than that, you know?」

Selina agreed with Christina, as she was pouring all her magical energy into her paralysis eyes to try to hold back Lenia.

「No matter what Lenia tries to do, I’ll immediately restrain her, so there’s no problem.

Moreover, you two are almost at your limit, right? Hurry and let her go」

「Certainly, if it’s you taking Lenia on, then you should be able to stop her easily…… Alright, Selina!」

「Y-Yes. One, two…… three!」

Upon her signal, Christina released her hold on Lenia’s body, and Selina also lifted her paralysis eyes at the same time.

Regaining freedom of her body, Lenia’s half dragon form was set free. She leapt forward with enough momentum for the ground to explode from the impact of her jump.

But the one waiting for her at the end of her leap wasn’t the one Lenia considered an abomination, Dramina. It was me.

Selina and Christina both seemed to think that Lenia would aim straight for Dramina, but upon seeing that the target of Lenia’s spear was me, startled expressions rose to their faces.

Lenia had pounced like a starving, wild animal aiming to stop the breath of its prey, but for me, her attack was harmless.

Lenia landed on me just like that, and although she was petite, she had a lot of momentum behind her, so the impact on my body was quite strong.

Now, what does Lenia intend to do to me? Ignoring my question, Lenia wrapped her slender arms and legs tightly around my body, clinging to me with the strength of steel restraints.

「Lenia?」

Just as I had done for Dramina, I stroked Lenia’s neatly trimmed black hair, and called out to her in an attempt to calm her down. Lenia unexpectedly did not respond, and instead rubbed her face left and right against my chest, hard enough to hurt.

Not only that, she was also dexterously moving her arms and legs, which were wrapped around my back and hips, so she could rub her body desperately against my own.

Depending on who was looking, it might appear like she was indulging in an act that could be considered obscene for a young girl and boy to be doing together, but the impression her actions left on me was different.

It must be that. Just like how a dog or cat might urinate to mark their territory, could it be that Lenia was rubbing her body on mine in order to leave her scent on me?

「Uuuuuuu~~~~~」

For her age, Lenia was quite petite and delicate, and even though she was rubbing her body all over me, she didn’t really have much awareness towards the opposite sex. Besides, she also looked up to me as her father, so she didn’t seem to be feeling any primal urges of lust.

Dramina’s scent — which in my opinion definitely did not stink — seemed to be clinging to my body. Forgetting to even breathe, Lenia put all her effort into trying to erase that smell by replacing it with her own scent. I didn’t know if I should act surprised or not, or even what would be the right reaction in the first place.

No, in this case, the correct reaction just did not exist.

Selina and Christina witnessed the strangeness of Lenia in the middle of her vigorous actions, their mouths agape. But then Selina seemed to somewhat sympathize with Lenia’s actions, and after a moment, she closed her mouth and nodded in understanding.

I don’t want you to smell like any other woman besides myself, is what the two of them seemed to agree on.

「I don’t want another woman’s stink on you, no, no, no!」

As if she was in deep emotional pain, Lenia paid no attention even to my reaction as she continued to immerse herself in rubbing her own scent onto me.

Well then, nothing could be done until either Lenia was satisfied, or something else drew her attention away.

Anyway, it was my scent, huh?

Usually, I’m always together with Selina, so it wouldn’t be strange for me to smell like her. But does that mean Selina is someone Lenia can allow near me?

I wanted to calm Lenia down as soon as possible, so I stroked her long black hair. Remembering some tricks I had picked up from calming her as a baby, I also lightly patted her back.

「Does it really smell that strongly?」

On the other hand, since Lenia had acted so desperately, Dramina had become worried about herself stinking. She held the cuff of her left-hand sleeve and the collar of her shirt up to her nose to sniff them, checking her own scent.

Certainly, if you told a woman that she smelled, then she would definitely be bothered by it.

Of course, I didn’t think Dramina smelled bad at all, but if I said that right now, then Lenia would probably have another outburst again, so I kept my mouth shut.

And so I kept on stroking Lenia’s head and patting her back, while she kept on rubbing her body on me to overwrite the smell with her own scent. Thus the situation which was probably incomprehensible for outsiders looking in, continued for a while longer.

By the time Lenia finally felt that she was done overwriting the scent, and her movements had gradually slowed down, I moved my right hand that had been stroking her hair down to her left cheek, and made her raise her face.

「Lenia, are you done now?」

It seems my question actually reached her ears this time, and Lenia started to sniff her nose like a dog or cat, and checked the scent at my chest and the nape of my neck.

「Sniff, sniff, sniff…… I’ve finally got that horrible smell off of you, so for now, yes」

「I see, I’m glad you’re satisfied, but do you think you can get off me now?」

Since Lenia had said she’d finally gotten Dramina’s scent off of me, I suggested to her, whose madness had been abated, to let go of me. But she rejected it, leaving no room for debate.

「No. I can’t do that」

Lenia’s sanity had returned enough for her to speak proper words now, but she still had her limbs entangled around me.

If I am separated from you, then the heavens and earth itself will be destroyed. Such was what the expression on Lenia’s face conveyed, and I felt a slight headache coming on.

「That smell of that parasite who can’t even live without sucking the blood of others was ingrained onto you. On top of that, there even seems to be the presence of something else sticking to you.

I have no idea what it might be.

So until I’ve made sure there are absolutely no problems left, I, Lenia, will not separate from you at all」

Even if you say that with such a sharp face, to everyone else, you just sound foolish, Lenia.

Luckily, Dramina’s feelings didn’t seem hurt from being called a parasite, and the smell incident seemed to bother her more. She approached Selina and asked her if she thought she smelled.

Selina confirmed Dramina’s scent, and although she said that she didn’t smell bad at all, she also snuck quick, jealous glances at Lenia still clinging to me.

Come to think of it, ever since Christina, Lenia and the others had started joining with us, Selina had been restraining herself from sleeping by my side at night, so she must be starved for some contact with me.

Hmm, I’ll just have to exchange ten or twenty warm embraces with her later then.

「Lenia, can you look me in the eye and tell me that you’re not saying that just because you want to stay like this?」

I didn’t allow Lenia to look away, and I stared into her large eyes steadily as I questioned her. Lenia grumbled as her expression indeed showed a look of defeat.

As I thought, she had been saying that as an excuse to proudly keep on clinging to me. Even though it was an action that stemmed from her love for me, good grief.

「Um, well that’s because…… I was finally able to come see you, but because that snake woman and the dragon killer are always around, I’m never able to just hold you anymore……」

It seems even Lenia had the common sense and shame to restrain herself from clinging to me in front of Selina and the others.

「If you just give consideration to the time and place, then I can grant at least that much. I have the ability to do that.

It’s just, right now, Selina, Dramina and the others are watching, and besides, it seems we have some uninvited guests here. So, won’t you please get off now?」

Noticing the tone of unease I mixed into the words “uninvited guests,” Lenia eyes hardened as she threw her sharp gaze towards a direction over my shoulder.

Among the white clouds spread throughout the blue sky, Lenia saw something. A dangerous aura rose up within her, as she finally let go of me with a very reluctant expression on her face.

「Certainly, it’s as you said, Dran-sama, we are being watched by uninvited guests. They were also probably peeking at the fight just earlier. They’re sure doing something annoying」

Lenia’s whisper didn’t seem to reach Christina or Selina’s ears, but as Selina approached us and saw Lenia’s stern expression, her own face looked puzzled.

「Lenia, what’s wrong? Even though you were just hugging Dran so tightly a moment ago, you seem to be in a bad mood. Did something happen?」

「Hmph, you’re still way, way too early to be staying by Dran-sama’s side. In that case, I wonder just how long you’ll be able to keep up with him.

Look, I hate to admit it, but even that vampire over there has already noticed.

They’re concealing their presence with both science and magic, but at that level, you should be able to see through it. Most importantly, they’re sending someone over from their side to greet us right now.」