"Here — tomato juice."
After pouring the drinks, Arthur carried two glasses of his special tomato blend back into the living room. He handed one to Akua Shuzen.
"Thank you," she said softly, taking the glass with both hands.
"…Hm?"
The moment she held it, Akua Shuzen suddenly drew in a faint sniff of air, her brows knitting slightly as if she had caught some irresistible scent.
An enticing, invisible aroma wafted up to her senses.
Her gaze was drawn to the glass in her hands.
To her astonishment, that cup of tomato juice ignited a deep, instinctive craving within her. Her heartbeat began to quicken.
It's just tomato juice, she told herself.
Yet somehow, it was more alluring than blood.
In the past, she had always relied on the blood bags stored away to satisfy her basic feeding needs—
blood that was bland, tasteless, and purely utilitarian.
It was like eating food that merely filled the stomach—no flavor, no joy.
But this…
this was cuisine.
The difference between sustenance and pleasure.
Those blood bags were just plain meals.
But this tomato juice… was a delicacy.
An instinctive hunger surged through her body. Without further hesitation, Akua Shuzen raised the glass to her lips.
"—!!"
The instant the liquid touched her tongue, her eyes widened slightly in shock.
A mix of disbelief and delight flashed across her face.
She could taste it—blood.
And not just any blood, but the kind that made her very soul shudder in ecstasy.
Alongside that intoxicating taste, she felt something more—the rich vitality hidden within the juice, life energy flowing through her veins as her body eagerly absorbed it.
It felt like rain after a long drought, washing through every fiber of her being.
Her throat moved up and down.
One sip. Two sips…
Gulp, gulp, gulp…
Her cheeks flushed faintly red. Akua Shuzen couldn't stop herself; she drank it down, savoring every drop until the glass was empty.
Only when that primal hunger finally subsided did her reason return.
She looked down at her empty glass—then up at Arthur, who was smiling faintly at her.
Her face instantly turned red.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed her eyes.
It was the first time in her life she'd ever lost composure like this in front of someone else.
Utterly unladylike.
Setting the cup down on the coffee table, Akua Shuzen shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Big Sister Aiai~!"
Thankfully, Akashiya Moka Moka arrived just then.
She was dressed in a simple white short-sleeved T-shirt that accentuated her figure, paired with tight blue jeans that showed off her long, shapely legs.
At around one-sixty-five centimeters tall, with her perfect proportions, she appeared even taller—almost one-seventy.
In terms of height, Akua Shuzen could still compare with her…
Though in strength, she far surpassed her.
And, well—she carried her own "airfield."
"Moka…"
Akua Shuzen turned to her.
When she noticed that Moka was in her "outer" form, her gaze lingered briefly, a flicker of emotion passing through her eyes.
Arthur caught that subtle look, a thoughtful glint flashing in his own.
If he remembered correctly, both of Moka's sisters had always preferred her "inner" self.
Especially her younger sister, Kokoa Shuzen, who openly looked down on "Outer Moka," calling her weak and spineless.
After all, the difference between the two was night and day—
one gentle and kind,
the other fierce and domineering.
Judging from Kokoa's attitude, it was fair to assume she had a… special fondness for strong, dominant types.
(Sounds a little like SM tendencies, Arthur mused inwardly.)
Moka, oblivious to Aiai's subtle expression, approached her cheerfully.
"Long time no see! Big Sister Aiai, what brings you to the human world?"
"I came to find you," Akua Shuzen replied, glancing briefly at Arthur before turning back with a faint smile.
"To find me?" Moka blinked, surprised and a little happy. "Did you need something, Sister Aiai?"
"Oh, nothing much," Aiai said lightly, her eyes flickering with calm deceit. "I just heard you came to the human world and wanted to see how you were doing."
A kind lie.
In truth, she hadn't known at all that Moka was here.
That information was confidential, and she herself had long been away from the Zhu Ran family, residing in the Fairy Tale with little contact back home.
As far as she'd known, Moka had been taken away by her father for special training three years ago.
Who would've guessed she'd end up here, in the human world?
While uttering the lie, Aiai cast another quick look at Arthur, worried he might expose her.
But Arthur only smiled silently.
She let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Sister Aiai! I'm really happy here in the human world!"
Moka's face lit up with pure joy.
In truth, before meeting Arthur, her time here hadn't been all that pleasant.
But after crossing paths with him, her world had gradually brightened, all the unhappiness fading away like a bad dream.
"Moka, here."
Arthur handed her the second glass of tomato juice.
"Thanks, Arthur."
Moka accepted it with a smile, glancing at the empty glass on the table before turning to Aiai.
"Sister Aiai, would you like another?"
She knew Arthur had mixed his own blood into the juice—and he certainly wouldn't drink it himself.
So the one who had must've been Aiai.
"I…"
Akua Shuzen's eyes flickered.
She wanted to refuse—she had already had a glass.
But that fragrance in the air made the words catch in her throat.
"Moka, you go ahead and drink it," Arthur said with a small laugh, gently patting Moka's head in a fond gesture.
"There's more in the fridge. I'll pour another for your sister."
"Okay!"
Moka smiled brightly, leaning her head against his hand like a spoiled kitten.
"T-Thank you…"
Aiai's face turned slightly pink, her voice barely audible as she murmured her thanks, eyes avoiding his.
"No need," Arthur replied casually, taking the empty glass and heading into the kitchen.
He pulled out the tomato juice again and refilled it to the brim.
Meanwhile, Moka and Aiai sat chatting on the sofa as time quietly passed.
Half an hour went by in the blink of an eye.
Finally, Akua Shuzen turned to Moka and said,
"Moka… there's something I'd like to talk to Arthur about alone."
She already knew his name now.
"Huh? Alone…?"
Moka blinked in surprise, glancing between the two before smiling.
"Okay then, I'll leave you to it, Sister Aiai."
She stood and went upstairs, leaving the two alone.
When Moka disappeared from sight, Akua Shuzen turned serious.
"Although I don't know why Fujisaki Miyabi ordered me to bring Moka to him," she began quietly, "I do know he won't give up easily."
"He has many powerful subordinates."
"I'll try to stall him when I return, but until I can stop him completely… I hope you'll protect Moka."
Though she understood Arthur's strength was likely unfathomable, she couldn't help but voice her concern.
"Don't worry," Arthur said with a calm smile. "Moka is my retainer. As long as I'm here, no one will harm her."
…
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