"By the way, this tea is made with Moonlight Grass picked by the lake. It calms the mind."
Mei explained softly as she poured a cup of floral tea for Lucian, the pale golden liquid carrying a fresh scent of flowers and fruit that permeated the air.
Lucian calmly took the cup and sipped, feeling a sweet and light taste in his mouth.
He watched Mei standing in the sunlight—her long black hair softened to a gentle golden-brown, her profile delicate, and her focused movements as she poured tea gave off a particular serenity.
"Sit."
Lucian gestured to the other lounge chair beside him.
Mei hesitated for a moment, then quietly sat down.
Just like that, they sat side by side, drinking tea, neither speaking, just enjoying the rare tranquility and sunlight as a gentle breeze passed them, carrying the nearby lake's humid scent.
"You know, this is... really nice..." Mei said softly, with a relaxation she had never felt before in her voice. "It's like a dream... Back then, I never even dared to imagine days like this..."
"As long as you like it, it's all worth it..." Lucian replied as softly, eyes closed.
"Thank you..." Mei continued lightly but sincerely. "Thank you for saving Izumo, thank you for saving our homeland..."
Hearing this, Lucian didn't open his eyes, but the corner of his mouth lifted.
"Well, consider this compensation for stealing your first kiss."
As soon as she heard 'first kiss,' Mei was instantly speechless, her face flushed, and she dared not speak anymore.
In the past, when Izumo was in chaos, her mind had been filled with national affairs and battlefields, leaving no room for other memories. Now, with peace settled, her thoughts constantly drifted back to that first encounter in the hot spring and that first kiss.
In the end, Mei simply closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
Hearing no response, Lucian opened his eyes and turned to look, only to see Mei sitting beside him, feigning sleep.
How did he know she was feigning sleep?
Her flushed cheeks betrayed her shyness.
Lucian smiled and ultimately closed his eyes again, enjoying this rare moment of peace together with Mei.
===
A few days later, in the study, Lucian handled some mundane tasks on a floating screen, his fingers typing relentlessly on the virtual keyboard.
During the last relocation of Izumo, he had moved the planet near Jarilo-VI because the galactic environment here was favorable, and at this stage, Jarilo-VI was developing, with various foreign civilizations coming and going.
Lucian intended for Izumo to ride the traffic.
More people, more elites—only then could the planet advance.
However, thanks to that, the guardians encountering foreign civilizations for the first time all had questions for Lucian, seeking his guidance, which was why he was now back to work again.
"Fine..." Lucian muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Once they're familiar, I can step back again and slack off."
Just as his words fell, Mei entered the study with a freshly brewed cup of hot tea and placed it gently in his hand, letting the aroma of the tea swirl to his nose.
After handing him the tea, she didn't leave immediately, but walked behind him and reached out with both hands, her slender fingers applying just the right pressure to his temples.
Warm fingertips, gentle and skilled movements.
"If you're tired, just take a break," Mei said gently, her voice was like a breeze brushing past his ear. "Don't push yourself too hard, okay? Or we'll worry."
Being suddenly massaged by Mei, Lucian was a little surprised as he felt his body subtly relax, then unconsciously leaned back into the wide chair, eyes closing.
Mei's massage was truly comfortable, carrying a sort of soothing magic that could calm his irritation. He could feel her soft fingertips tracing circles over acupoints, slowly easing the tension between his brows.
"Learned this from someone?" Lucian asked casually with his eyes closed.
"No, I figured it out myself," Mei replied with a gentle smile, her voice and expression soft. "When I used to get tired from battle, I'd always massage myself. Over time, I learned the most comfortable technique. How is it? Is my massage good?"
"Good? It's the best in the world. No lie—one hundred percent," Lucian praised with a chuckle.
Just like that, the study fell into silence.
Sunlight streamed through the window, warm and bright, mixing with the tea's fragrance and Mei's subtle scent, in a way like wisteria after rain.
A while later, Mei eased the pressure of her massage, then looked at Lucian's relaxed profile.
Hesitating for a moment, she ultimately leaned forward slightly, as if wanting a closer look, but the movement caused a strand of her hair to slip down, lightly brushing Lucian's cheek.
Feeling a faint tickle on his cheek, Lucian opened his eyes.
In that instant, their eyes met—they were so close that they could see their own reflections in each other's pupils and feel the warmth of each other's breath on their skin.
Mei's cheeks instantly turned crimson, and her body flinched, wanting to pull back her hands, but before she could, Lucian quickly lifted his hand and gently held her wrist.
"Good skill..." Lucian said, watching her flushed face and slightly panicked violet eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "From now on… massage me every day."
Seeing his face and hearing his words, Mei's heart skipped a beat, then began pounding like a drum, while the spot where he held her wrist burned with surprising heat.
Looking at the rare, gentle gaze in his eyes, her flustered heart strangely steadied, replaced by a thrill that made her cheeks burn.
Mei gently bit her lower lip, lowered her gaze, her long lashes trembling.
"Mm... okay..."
Just as Mei's almost inaudible reply fell, the house's doorbell suddenly rang.
*Ding-Dong—Ding-Dong—*
Hearing the doorbell, Mei quickly straightened her posture, then left the study, heading toward the front door as if she were escaping from Lucian.
As she opened the front door, she found eleven women standing there.
"Mei, what are you and the boss doing? It took you so long to open the door."
Kyuusyou complained with a frown as she stepped inside, and the other women followed one after another.
"It's cooler at the boss's place. It makes me want to move in like Mei, too."
"Mei, you didn't do anything bad while we were gone, right?"
As Mei stood by the door like a waitress, Bianka and Himiko teased her as they passed.
It couldn't be helped.
Being Lucian's attendant and living in the same house with him meant that some girlish chatter and gossip were unavoidable.
"Wow, smells so good! Is there some snack?"
As they entered the study, Senti swung her gray hair and came up to Lucian, sniffing the air.
"Boss, can I have these cookies?"
As always, Senti expressed her desire to Lucian so openly, saying whatever came to mind without caring about consequences.
And that was what made Lucian like her.
"Well, they're made by Mei, but there are only a few left, so you can only have one piece."
"What? Made by Mei?" Himiko asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "I've never eaten cookies made by Mei. I want some too."
In the next moment, she raised her hand, grabbed a cookie from the table, and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Oh, I want one too."
Xuanyuan chimed in with a smile, then took a step forward to grab a cookie, but when her raised foot touched the floor—
*Thud!*
To everyone's surprise, Xuanyuan somehow tripped over her own feet and fell flat on the floor. However, seeing a battle-hardened warrior like her fall like that on a flat floor without any obstacles was somewhat odd.
"Ouch, ouch, it hurts..." Xuanyuan complained, rubbing her sore buttocks. "Is it just me, or have I been unlucky lately? Always tripping for no reason..."
Lucian's ears immediately perked up upon hearing this.
Unlucky lately?
Ever since becoming Izumo's sole ruler, he had always observed his surroundings very closely in case the conceptual ability 'Law of Calamity' was activated, so he could see who in Izumo was dissatisfied with him.
Before Xuanyuan's fall, he hadn't heard of anyone being constantly unlucky, but now there was.
"Xuanyuan, be honest with me..." Lucian clasped his hands together on the table and asked calmly. "Do you have any ill intentions or thoughts toward me? Otherwise, you wouldn't be cursed by my ability."
""What?""
All the women in the study gasped in unison.
Cursed?
He could curse others?
Just having ill intentions or thoughts toward him meant that you would be cursed?
If that were true, it would be terrifying.
Did that mean that even gossiping about him required the utmost care?
All the women immediately looked at Xuanyuan.
"Xuanyuan, what are you thinking of doing to Lucian?"
Mei, staring sharply at Xuanyuan, asked seriously, with a deep frown adorning her face.
Even though Xuanyuan was a companion who had fought against the kami alongside her for years, a shared history that made their current relationship essentially no different from that of sisters and family, she would still never allow anyone to threaten Lucian, even if that person were her own family, because allowing such a threat would disrupt this happy and peaceful life that every people of Izumo had always longed for.
Being suddenly interrogated, Xuanyuan remained calm, even smiling.
"Good grief, you found out, huh?" Xuanyuan said with a light smile, then shrugged her shoulders. "Fine, I admit, I did have a bit of ill intent toward the boss."
===
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