Smack! A crisp sound echoed.
Looking at Yotsuya Miko's slightly upturned backside, Lin couldn't resist raising his right hand and giving it a light slap.
"Ouch! What was that for?"
Mired in embarrassment, Yotsuya Miko instantly covered her bottom with both hands, turning her head to glare at Lin with a red face.
The light in her golden eyes was like rippling water.
Her shyness manifested as shimmering ripples.
Lin smiled faintly at her. "Hurry and get up. I'm going to show you your future base of operations."
"Base of operations?"
Yotsuya Miko paused, momentarily confused.
A flicker of doubt appeared in her eyes.
The distraction gradually dispelled her embarrassment, and she flipped over and got up from the sofa.
Lin hadn't told her about the Dust Realm before.
Snap! He snapped his fingers.
A door materialized.
"Follow me."
Lin stepped through first.
"Is this a door?"
Instead of going straight in, Yotsuya Miko circled the door curiously before ducking through it.
She stepped through the door, and her vision flashed,
The next moment, she found herself in another world.
Thousands of mountains stood tall.
Clouds and mist swirled around them in the sunlight.
Before her was a massive, heart-shaped lake, surrounded by green trees interspersed with cherry blossoms in full bloom.
The surface of the heart-shaped lake was like a mirror.
It reflected the blue sky, white clouds, and the green shadows of the surrounding forest.
The sound of rushing water could be heard.
To the south of this world, below the heart-shaped lake, was a river.
The overflow from the lake formed a waterfall, plunging down like a celestial river.
"Wow!!!"
Gazing at the beautiful scenery and the vista of a new world, Yotsuya Miko's eyes widened, her red lips parting slightly.
She was stunned by the picturesque scene before her.
"What is this place?"
Yotsuya Miko looked at Lin, her eyes filled with intense curiosity.
"My world. The Dust Realm."
"The 'Mirage' as in the illusion of a city in the sky."
"Right now, the Dust Realm is the size of Earth's total landmass."
"It'll get even bigger in the future."
"Dozens, even hundreds of times larger than Earth."
With his hands in his pockets, Lin smiled at her and gave a brief introduction to the Dust Realm.
"Nani!?"
Yotsuya Miko was utterly shocked.
The way she looked at Lin kept changing, as if she were looking at a god.
Although she already knew Lin was incredible, the more time she spent with him, the more he seemed like a bottomless abyss.
Unfathomable and full of surprises.
He would always do something that amazed or delighted her.
She glanced around.
Yotsuya Miko finally couldn't hold back. "Lin, be honest with me. Are you a god from the legends?"
Possessing a world that will be dozens or hundreds of times larger than Earth... isn't that a power only a god could have?
And a particularly powerful one at that, like a creator god.
"A god..."
Hearing this, Lin paused for a moment.
Then, the corners of his mouth lifted as he looked at Yotsuya Miko with a smile.
"You can think of me as a 'god.' After all, I'm not the least bit inferior to many deities out there."
"Gods have their own strengths and weaknesses."
"Some gods... I could crush a whole bunch of them with a single finger."
He was referring to those 'gods' that were originally yokai but gradually attained divinity by protecting a region and being worshipped by humans.
"I knew it..."
A strange light flickered in Yotsuya Miko's eyes.
In her heart, Lin was now no different from a 'god.'
No wonder Lin had previously said she was 'like a shrine maiden serving a god.'
If Lin was a god, then it made perfect sense.
She never imagined she would be lucky enough to become a 'god's' retainer.
And be cherished by that 'god,' no less.
At this thought, Yotsuya Miko's gaze toward Lin grew even more affectionate, her eyes rippling with happiness.
"Lin, kiss me."
"Hm???"
Though a little confused, Lin wrapped an arm around Yotsuya Miko's waist, leaned down, and captured her red lips.
Yotsuya Miko responded with passion.
Five or six minutes later.
Lin pulled his right hand out from under Yotsuya Miko's shirt, kept his left arm around her waist, and whispered in her ear:
"Let's continue this tonight."
"Mmm..."
Yotsuya Miko looked dazed, her face completely flushed. She linked her fingers behind Lin's neck and leaned against his chest.
A few more minutes passed.
Suppressing the flustered passion in her heart, Yotsuya Miko pulled away from Lin's embrace, a blush still lingering on her cheeks.
Sensing the dampness in a certain place,
she couldn't help but blush again.
She quickly took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts away and forcing herself to return to her usual calm state.
"Let's go."
Once Yotsuya Miko had composed herself, Lin opened the door, and the two of them left the Dust Realm, returning to the living room of his residence.
"Lin!"
Just as they returned to the living room, they saw Tohru standing nearby.
She called out to Lin with a smile, then looked at Yotsuya Miko, sizing her up before giving a friendly nod.
Yotsuya Miko also studied Tohru.
She saw the horns on her head and the big green tail behind her.
She immediately realized this must be the dragon, Tohru, that Lin had mentioned.
Her gaze involuntarily drifted downward.
Staring at the magnificent contours of Tohru's chest, she couldn't help but glance down at her own, her hands clenching into small fists.
If Tohru's were large steamed buns,
then hers were just soup dumplings.
It wasn't that she was small, but comparisons were cruel.
Yotsuya Miko was suddenly reminded of her best friend.
Which made her feel even more tragic. T-TT
"Let me introduce you two."
Standing between them, Lin began the introductions with a smile.
"Tohru, this is Yotsuya Miko."
"Miko, this is Tohru."
Yotsuya Miko gave Tohru a friendly smile. "Hello, Tohru."
"Hello, Miko."
Tohru replied with a smile.
After greeting each other, neither knew what to say.
An awkward silence fell.
Just then, Lin broke in with a smile. "Tohru, why don't you and Miko go up to the third floor and get a bedroom ready."
"It'll be Miko's room from now on."
"...Alright."
Hearing this, Tohru looked at Yotsuya Miko and nodded with a smile.
"Let's go."
She said to Yotsuya Miko and turned to head up the stairs.
Yotsuya Miko glanced at Lin and saw him give her a look, instantly understanding his intention.
She nodded lightly and followed.
"Tohru, why are you wearing, um, a maid outfit?"
Yotsuya Miko started a conversation out of curiosity.
Hearing the question, Tohru looked at Miko and said with a smile, "Because I'm Lin's exclusive maid."
"Exclusive maid..."
Yotsuya Miko blinked. "Did you want to become one yourself?"
"You could say that."
Tohru nodded and explained, "Lin asked me to be his exclusive maid, and after thinking about it, I agreed."
"It was my own choice."
"I see." Yotsuya Miko understood, looking thoughtful.
Making a powerful dragon his maid... that was just like Lin.
The two of them continued to chat like this.
Their casual conversation gradually became more harmonious.
Outside, the night grew deeper with the passing hours.
At twelve o'clock, the night was deep and quiet.
Dressed in her pajamas, Yotsuya Miko quietly slipped out of her room and tiptoed towards Lin's bedroom on the second floor.
In another bedroom,
Tohru, who had her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and sat up.
"What is she up to?"
A trace of confusion flickered in her eyes.
Because she had sensed Yotsuya Miko entering Lin's bedroom.
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