EVEN AS A SLAVE, THE HEAVENLY DEMON'S MIGHT SHALL TAME THE BEAUTIES-Chapter 40: KIRA’S FIRST MORNING

The first pale rays of dawn filtered through the cracked windows of the largest room, casting fractured patterns of light across the worn wooden floor. Dust motes danced in the golden beams, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere that seemed at odds with the weight of the previous night’s events.

Lirien stirred first, consciousness returning gradually as warmth pressed against her bare skin. The familiar ache between her thighs reminded her of their passionate union, while deeper memories surfaced of holding Yomi through his nightmare, the way his powerful frame had trembled against her, the strangled sounds of anguish that had torn from his throat.

She found herself studying his face in the morning light, noting how even in sleep, tension lingered in the set of his jaw, the slight furrow between his brows. Whatever demons haunted his dreams ran deeper than she had imagined, carved into his very soul by experiences she couldn’t begin to fathom.

Moving with careful precision to avoid waking him, Lirien gathered her scattered clothes from the floor. Each piece felt foreign against her skin now, as though the woman who had worn them yesterday was someone else entirely. The thought should have disturbed her, but instead, she found a strange comfort in it.

As she reached for the door, Yomi’s voice stopped her, rough with sleep but unmistakably tender.

"Thank you... for staying with me."

She turned back to find his storm-grey eyes watching her, and in their depths, she glimpsed something raw and grateful that made her chest tighten. "You didn’t have to face it alone," she said softly, the words carrying more weight than their simplicity suggested.

****

Down the hall, Aeloria sat fully clothed on the edge of her narrow bed, her posture rigid with exhaustion and turmoil. The untouched food tray beside her bore witness to her sleepless night, its contents long since grown cold and congealed.

She had spent the dark hours replaying every moment, the way Yomi and Lirien had moved together, the sounds of their passion echoing through the walls, and most shamefully, her own body’s traitorous response. The memory of her fingers between her thighs, the way she had climaxed to the sounds of their coupling, sent fresh waves of humiliation crashing over her.

What kind of person am I? she wondered, pressing her palms against her burning cheeks. The anger was easier to hold onto than the confusion, the sense that something fundamental had shifted in their small group’s dynamic, leaving her on the outside looking in.

When Lirien finally appeared in the common area, Aeloria was already there, having forced herself through the motions of preparing breakfast despite her roiling emotions. She looked up as her friend entered, taking in the subtle changes with a practiced eye.

"Good morning," Aeloria said, her voice carefully modulated to maintain politeness while carrying an undercurrent of steel. "I trust you... slept well?"

The emphasis on the last words was unmistakable, and Lirien felt heat rise in her cheeks. But rather than the apologetic deflection Aeloria expected, Lirien met her gaze directly.

"Yes, I did sleep well. Eventually." The hint about comforting Yomi through his nightmare was deliberate, a quiet assertion that what had passed between them went beyond mere physical desire.

Aeloria’s jaw tightened as she recognized something new in her friend’s demeanour, a centeredness, a confidence that hadn’t been there before. The apologetic girl who had once deferred to her judgment was being replaced by someone stronger, more certain of her path.

Near the wall, the beast girl pressed herself into the shadows, her small frame trembling as she sensed the tension crackling between the two women. Her wide eyes darted between them, clearly understanding that something had changed in the dynamics of their makeshift family.

The atmosphere shifted tangibly when Yomi entered the room. Despite the exhaustion etched into his features from his nightmarish visions, his presence commanded attention in a way that seemed almost supernatural. Lirien immediately moved to warm his food, her actions unconscious but protective.

"You need to regain your strength," she murmured as she set the steaming bowl before him, taking the seat beside him with easy familiarity.

It was then that the beast girl approached hesitantly, drawn by some inexplicable pull toward the man who had freed her from her collar. Yomi looked down at her upturned face and realized with a start that in all their time together, he had never learned her name.

"What do they call you?" he asked gently, lifting her to settle her on his knee.

The beast girl’s expression fell. "I... I don’t remember," she whispered, the words carrying the weight of stolen identity and lost innocence.

Yomi studied her features for a long moment, taking in the unique blend of human and feral characteristics that marked her heritage. When he spoke again, his voice was surprisingly warm.

"Would you like a name?"

The transformation in the child’s face was instantaneous, her eyes lit up with such pure joy that even Aeloria felt her heart clench. An uncontrollable smile spread across her features as she nodded eagerly.

"Then you shall be... Kira," Yomi declared with the gravity of a king bestowing titles. "And I am Yomi."

Lirien smiled at the exchange. "Kira suits you perfectly," she said, and the little girl beamed with pleasure.

But Aeloria’s expression darkened, remembering her own promise to help the child recover her lost memories. The gesture felt like another thing Yomi was taking from her, another way he was inserting himself into the center of their lives.

"Yomi," Lirien repeated thoughtfully. "That’s... unusual for a Dra’kesh name."

Something flickered in Yomi’s eyes, too quick for most to catch, but Aeloria noticed. Another mystery, another secret he carried.

As they ate, Lirien turned to practical matters. "Now that we’re... free," she began carefully, "we need to think about what comes next. The best course would be to travel to Lexicanum Wiseguard, the capital. You could register as an adventurer with the guild there, get proper identification, and learn about this world as your rank increases."

Yomi’s brow furrowed slightly. "Isn’t there a more direct way to gain information? Like joining a sect or pavilion?"

The question clearly confused Lirien, but Aeloria’s eyes sharpened with understanding and barely concealed mockery.

"A sect?" she laughed, the sound bitter. "What do you think this is, some made-up fantasy? You’re talking about Astralux Academy, the university for nobles. People like us can’t just walk through those doors."

Lirien’s expression cleared as she caught up to the conversation. "Actually, it’s not impossible. You don’t need noble status if you can pay the tuition fees, but..." She grimaced. "The cost is astronomical. And you’d need a backer within the academy itself, which is incredibly difficult to arrange."

"Impossible," Aeloria corrected flatly. "Completely impossible for people like us."

Yomi absorbed this information in silence, his expression unreadable as he weighed options and possibilities. When he finally spoke, his tone brooked no argument. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"We leave for the capital today."

The statement hung in the air like a decree. No discussion, no consultation, simply a decision made and announced. Both women realized with varying degrees of resignation that they were following his lead now, their own agency somehow secondary to his will.

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