The castle felt eerily quiet for a change, save for the occasional creak of the ancient stone and the faint crackle of hellfire outside. In the royal chamber, Kikidori leaned against the locked door with a satisfied grin.
"There," he said, brushing his hands together like he'd just solved a major problem. "Locked. No walk-ins this time."
Ere'ana sat on the bed, her angelic glow muted with a faint pink blush across her cheeks. "Good. After last time, I don't think I could survive another interruption." She smoothed the sheets nervously, avoiding his gaze.
Kikidori raised an eyebrow, his usual smirk softening into something more teasing. "You're acting like we're doing something scandalous. We already have a kid, remember? Pretty sure everyone knows how that happened."
Ere'ana shot him a glare, though her blush deepened. "Yes, but it's still private, Kikidori. Just because you have no shame doesn't mean I don't."
"Shame?" Kikidori chuckled as he crossed the room to her, his fiery aura flickering faintly. "What's that? Never heard of it."
Ere'ana sighed, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "You're impossible."
"And yet, you're still here," Kikidori quipped, leaning down to kiss her.
The kiss deepened, and for a while, the world outside the locked door faded away. Ere'ana's angelic glow brightened, mingling with Kikidori's demonic fire in a way that was uniquely theirs. For a moment, it was perfect.
But then, as things began to escalate, Ere'ana suddenly stiffened. "Wait, Kikidori—"
"What?" he murmured against her lips, his voice low and teasing. "You're not getting shy on me now, are you?"
"No, it's just..." Her blush was almost glowing now. "Don't you, um, think it's a little awkward? You know, when you—"
Kikidori pulled back slightly, his brow furrowing. "When I what?"
Ere'ana covered her face with her hands, her voice muffled as she muttered, "You know... when you... finish."
It took a second for her words to register, and then Kikidori threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, come on, Ere'ana! You're blushing over that? We're married! We've done this a thousand times!"
"Exactly!" she said, uncovering her face to glare at him. "Which is why it's even more embarrassing now! I don't know why, but it just is!"
Kikidori smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well, I'll do my best to keep it less... awkward for you this time."
"You're impossible," Ere'ana muttered, though she couldn't hide the small smile that crept onto her lips.
"Impossible?" Kikidori said, leaning in close. "Nah, I'm just determined. Now, where were we?"
Despite her earlier embarrassment, Ere'ana couldn't help but laugh softly as he kissed her again. For all his flaws, Kikidori had a way of making her feel like the only person in the world, even in moments like this.
As things picked up again, the locked door remained mercifully undisturbed, and the awkwardness—though still lingering in Ere'ana's mind—began to fade into the background.
At least, until Kikidori's usual smug commentary kicked in.
"You know," he said with a smirk as he pulled her closer, "for someone who claims to be shy, you're really good at this."
Ere'ana groaned, covering her face again. "Why do you always have to ruin the moment?"
"I'm not ruining it," Kikidori said with a grin. "I'm enhancing it."
Ere'ana shook her head, though she couldn't help but laugh despite herself. "You're lucky I love you."
"And don't you forget it," Kikidori said, leaning in for another kiss.
The End of Chapter 9