"Oh, so you just snuck out for a late-night snack. Does that count as some form of 'cheating'?"
Later that night, when Shiomi returned to the room with Morgan, he found both his master and Artoria awake. He decided to explain himself.
"What do you mean, 'cheating'?" Shiomi poured himself a glass of water, sipping it while grumbling, "Master, when it's just the two of us in the office, you always sneak under the desk whenever I'm organizing documents or reports."
"Anyway, you can handle that on your own. Naturally, I was looking for something fun to pass the time." Scáthach pinched Shiomi's cheek without hesitation. "And you seemed to enjoy it too, didn't you?"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch... Master is absolutely right..." Shiomi whined, begging for mercy. "Besides, now that you're both awake, all the thoughtfulness of me sneaking out quietly for a late-night snack and slipping back in unnoticed... is all wasted."
"Since we're all awake anyway, chatting a bit wouldn't hurt." Morgan wrapped her arms around Shiomi's neck from behind, resting her face against his shoulder. "Maybe we'll just drift off while talking."
The room was dimly lit by a single nightlight, casting an almost suggestive glow.
"Difficult..." Artoria's sharp intuition quickly sensed the direction of their impending nocturnal conversation. "Is this the kind of 'chat' you had in mind?"
It wasn't impossible, but it was a bit too... challenging for her personal integrity.
After all, in public settings, Shiomi showed more respect for Artoria than anyone else, never letting anyone feel that she was being "desecrated" by him.
My sword is with you, and your destiny is mine.
This was the vow Artoria had sworn to Shiomi.
"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it." Morgan gave Artoria a sly look. "Though my husband holds you in high regard—even when you went alone to find him in Londinium, he didn't do anything to embarrass you, did he?"
"Are you implying I'm actually unattractive in Tenkei's eyes?" Artoria picked up on the underlying meaning.
"Not at all," Morgan waved it off. "But what about afterward? After returning here, did my husband show no interest in you during private moments—other than at night?"
Shiomi shifted his gaze slightly. "Well... when the opportunity presents itself, one can't exactly refuse."
"Hmm..." Artoria mumbled in response, cradling one of his hands.
When they had visited Shiomi's Magical Workshop, a few flirtatious words had loosened her sash. By the time she left, carrying tools made there, her cheeks were still flushed.
And that had been her first experience of being carried off unilaterally.
"Truly," Scáthach teased unabashedly, "like a beast in heat. As a child acknowledged by Tiamat herself, it seems my beloved disciple is quite the exceptional Beast. As for the principle he upholds? Let's just call it 'breeding.'"
"Is that even the same thing..." Shiomi responded to the taunt head-on, trying to counter.
"For a human who could ascend the Throne of Gods to be consumed solely by carnal desires—that is the 'beastly nature' of my husband, the Beast," Morgan's hand slid from behind to teasingly trace Shiomi's chest. "Does the Goddess of the Holy Lance share this sentiment?"
Facing Shiomi's pleading gaze, Artoria decisively ignored it, adopting the regal demeanor of the Lion King for the first time in ages.
"Indeed it is."
"..."
Since their banter was rooted in truth, Shiomi found no rebuttal and could only remain silent, watching as the three of them burst into laughter one after another.
Trapped between them on the bed, Shiomi was tossed about in a chaotic heap. He simply shut his mouth, letting them tease him while his hands roamed freely beneath the covers.
Since he had already become a "beast," he might as well embrace it fully—better than being toyed with for nothing.
Then, Shiomi realized his senses beyond touch had been severed by Magecraft.
A rather simple sensory interference Magecraft—if necessary, Shiomi could dispel it with a single thought.
"Huh? What's this all about?"
Before he could finish speaking, the three of them lowered their lips one after another, kissing him in turn. Then the Magecraft dissolved on its own—it was the kind that lasted only a moment.
"My husband, can you tell who kissed you first just now?" Morgan cradled his face, resting on her lap, and leaned down to ask, "If you get it wrong, you sleep on the floor tonight."
"No wonder she did that." Shiomi understood, pondering briefly, "Then I'll just get it wrong and sleep on the floor instead."
Scáthach's ruby eyes fixed on him. "In that case, I have a way to make my beloved disciple regret deliberately failing this little test."
At that, Shiomi felt every hair on his body stand on end. It seemed that certain 'fears' of his master were already etched into his very bones.
"Alright, alright, I won't mess around." Shiomi raised a finger, sweeping it successively over Scáthach, Morgan, and Artoria. "This order, right? Don't think blocking four of my five senses means I'm clueless."
"Regardless of whether you're right or wrong, tell me the basis for your judgment?" Scáthach, using the hair hanging down to her chest as a mustache, teased Shiomi's nose, making him feel both ticklish and pleasantly amused.
Shiomi chuckled lightly.
"What else could it be? Just personal habits. Master tends to be more aggressive, while Artoria clearly isn't good at taking the initiative. As for Morgan, well, she unconsciously reveals the affection accumulated over time."
His words easily plunged the three into silence. It was obvious his answer was completely correct.
"Such arrogance from a mere disciple." Scáthach kept one eye closed, clearly still surprised by this level of insight. Her smiling eyes revealed her current mood.
"Mm..." Artoria pressed her lips together slightly. Reflecting, she realized it had always been Shiomi taking the initiative; she only ever needed to consider whether to accept it or not.
"It's surprising you can perceive such emotional nuances," Morgan mused. "When did this change occur? Even I hadn't noticed."
"I don't know either. I just suddenly realized it."
Shiomi sat up, embracing all three without restraint, pressing his face intimately against theirs.
"I'm truly happy and grateful that you've always been by my side," he said sincerely.
Held tightly in return, their silent affirmation reached Shiomi.
"But fair's fair—after all that teasing earlier, I need to retaliate properly."
Then he abruptly changed the tone, gently pushing them down onto the bed.
Another sleepless night.