The man leaned his head back against the edge of the bathtub, allowing the girl to lie on his chest. He supported himself with one hand outside the tub holding the suppressant, and with the other, he held her to prevent her from choking on water.
"This should last until Leberli gets here..."
Ruka gazed at the bathroom ceiling, feeling a long-lost vigorous desire beneath him.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had felt desire towards any female. In the beginning, he was embarrassed about it, but after seeing all the top doctors in the Empire, he could only hear similar answers.
—"Colonel Sikoses, all functions of your body are unimpaired, we really can't find the reason."
—"Colonel, we've tried all kinds of treatments, we have done our best."
—"Respected Colonel, this letter is to express our apologies. After multiple consultations by experts, we are unable to offer you treatment."
In addition to spiritual power, Beastmen awaken a Talent that varies across different races.
The Sikoses Family is of the purest lion lineage, with Teleportation as their Talent. The power of the Family Head is passed down from generation to generation, not just in status but also in Talent.
Originally, Ruka had the highest calls to be the successor, but his asexuality undoubtedly brought shame to the family. How could someone unable to bear offspring take charge of the family and convince the members? This was also the reason why he had not inherited the position for so long.
But today, upon smelling Qiao Suisui's scent, the desire in his body seemed to awaken...
Ruka lowered his head and gently lifted her chin.
The light had been too dim before; now he could see her clearly. Her features were soft yet slightly youthful, her mouth small, with delicate brows and eyes. When she opened her eyes, she resembled a rain-drenched kitten, her dark pupils staring fixedly at you, melting one's heart. And at this moment, her brow was furrowed into a little mound, making others feel a tug at their hearts as well.
"... Are you still feeling uncomfortable?"
All that answered him was a faint, delicate hum, almost inaudible, yet it hooked Ruka's heart, a peculiar itch.
He didn't want to take advantage of her, moreover...
He took a deep breath, leaned his head back against the tub, and tried to think of unrelated matters to distract himself. However, the person on him clearly did not understand just how 'on edge' the situation they were in was.
A fire seemed to burn in Qiao Suisui's lower abdomen, pulling and aching in waves, itchy as well. She wanted to scratch it, but no matter how she fumbled, she couldn't reach. She imagined herself as a lazy cat on a sunny afternoon, lying on the ground exposing its belly, wishing for someone to come over and scratch it. So she wriggled around, feeling a force at her back pressing her down, preventing her from turning over.
She grew restless and began to struggle.
Slippery as an eel, she wriggled and squirmed, attempting to escape the force trapping her.
But the more she slid down, the tighter the force held her. Undeterred, she twisted and turned, suddenly freezing in place.
"Stop moving," he commanded.
The man's low, husky voice reached her as Qiao Suisui slowly opened her eyes.
She saw herself sitting on the man's lower abdomen, her legs wrapped around his waist.
Redness tinted the corners of his eyes; he frowned tightly, his gaze unnaturally shifting to the side.
"You..." Suisui hadn't finished asking who he was when he lifted her from the water with both hands under her armpits.
The sound of flowing water filled the entire bathroom.
Qiao Suisui was drenched, her slip dress clinging to her body, nearly like wearing nothing at all. Her gaze was unfocused, obviously not yet fully conscious.
"So you're the prince I saved?"
Ruka didn't understand her language, but he knew she was asking a question, so he casually "hmm-ed" in response. That response, however, caused the two to engage in a chaotic back-and-forth.
"Well, let me tell you, I saved you, and you shouldn't marry another princess, or I will turn into foam!"
"Hmm."
"Did you really remember that?"
"Mm."
"Repeat that."
"Mm."
"I knew it..."
Qiao Suisui waved her small hand, attempting to grab him. Ruka sighed and once again laid her on his chest, only this time he held her bottom with his hands, cradling her like a baby in his arms.
Qiao Suisui: "Don't tell me you've traded your voice with the witch."
Ruka: "Be quiet for a while, I don't want to do something I'll regret."
The prince was talking in bird language, literally.
She stopped talking because after the brief relief from the cold water, her body had adjusted to the temperature, rendering the cold water ineffective.
The System began to remind her every minute: [Host, please seize the opportunity to conceive as soon as possible. If the energy supply is insufficient, you will be destroyed in this world.]
Her body started burning up again, the words 'be destroyed' hanging over her like Death's scythe.
Qiao Suisui wrapped her arms around Ruka's neck, began breathing against his neck, later biting his Adam's apple, and then slowly took his earlobe into her mouth. She thought she was being forceful, but her slow, soft action, combined with the warm, moist caress of her mouth, made Ruka's already wavering rationality collapse.
"Don't."
Ruka's breathing grew heavier once again, his heart thumping painfully as if it were beating a drum. The entire bathroom was immediately filled with a romantic atmosphere.
"Can I... mark you?"
He gripped her waist with one hand and cradled the back of her head with the other, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
"Answer me..."
"...Can Ruka Xikoses mark you?"
...
...
Six hours later.
Inside the room, Leberli withdrew his hands that had been radiating healing energy and smiled in a relaxed manner, teasingly saying, "Sikoses, you've really overdone it."
"Are you out of your mind? This rare female should be under the Empire's key protection, she belongs to the Empire, not to you personally. What were you thinking, bringing her back without reporting, and then doing such things to her..."
Ruka didn't respond. He habitually took a cigarette to light but glanced at the bed and crushed the cigarette in his hand. "So, how is she now?"
"The effects of the aphrodisiac have dissipated, but without any spiritual power, she's even more fragile than an Artificial Female. Her physical condition is a mess." Leberli looked at the sleeping girl, a flicker in his eyes, and asked, "But what do you plan to do about it?"
"What?"
Leberli crossed his arms and looked at him with disbelief, exaggeratedly saying, "Eh? Weren't you supposed to be holding a ceremony with the Princess next month? Yet now you've marked this little female. Could it be that you're tired of your interstellar ideal type and want to follow in my footsteps, becoming a morally corrupt scum reviled by others?"
"I didn't mark her."
Ruka looked at the small depression in the bed, his emotions complicated.
"Ha." Leberli laughed as if he had heard a joke. Well-versed in the ways of pleasure, he knew that this kind of aphrodisiac couldn't possibly be dealt with by the female alone.
"That's even worse. You've done what needed to be done, but didn't mark her. What is it? You don't want to take responsibility?"
This time, Ruka didn't deny it any further. After a long silence, he finally said, "I can be her guardian and provide her with the best life possible. But beyond that, I can't give her anything more."