Early morning.
Ray was awakened.
Not by Luno, but by room service.
This Champion Suite included daily complimentary breakfast delivered to the room. As for lunch and dinner, those were to be enjoyed at the hotel restaurant.
Yawning, Ray took the exquisite breakfast tray, arranging the lavish spread on the table. He then walked over to Luno's bedroom door.
Same old arrangement.
Luno slept in the room; he slept on the sofa.
Thinking about it, this setup felt familiar, it seemed to be the same whenever he was with Phoebe or Carlotta before.
Ray wasn't particularly fussy about his surroundings anyway. Food and sleep as long as they passed, it was fine.
"Miss Luno, time for breakfast." He rubbed his sleepy eyes and gently knocked on the door.
But after waiting a moment, only a few muffled murmurs came from the room before it fell silent again, leaving only the young woman's even, sweet breathing drifting softly with the morning breeze.
Perhaps not fully awake yet, Ray turned the doorknob on instinct without thinking.
Whether Luno had forgotten or for some other reason, the door wasn't locked from the inside.
By the time he realized, his steps had already entered the bedroom.
The young woman on the bed remained completely unaware of this inadvertent "invasion," her even, sweet breathing rising and falling gently in the tranquil morning light.
Ray stared at the figure on the bed. After a brief moment of stunned silence, the lingering sleepiness vanished instantly.
He held his breath, gazing at Luno.
The young woman had shed her usual attire, leaving only a thin, white camisole nightgown that clung gently to her slender form. In the hazy morning light, it outlined a tranquil silhouette, like a Moon-viewing Flower blooming in the night, speaking of the moon's depth to the approaching dawn.
Morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a soft glow over the room.
His gaze inadvertently swept over the young woman's bare legs, the skin was as delicate as newly fallen snow, like fine silk, seemingly leaving a mark at the lightest touch.
The desire to touch, to caress...
A faint, elusive fragrance drifted in the air.
He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but this scent intertwined with the sight before him, leaving Ray's mouth parched, as if some kind of fire had been lit.
The young woman's sleeping posture was completely relaxed. One hand lay carelessly by the pillow, fingers slightly curled.
Just then, Luno suddenly turned over gently. The camisole strap slipped from her shoulder, pulling the fabric with it.
This motion fully bared her right breast, leaving it completely uncovered in the morning light, leaving her exposed right in front of him
Ray's breath hitched abruptly; the rush of blood roared downwards.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to look away. He turned around quietly and closed the bedroom door.
'What am I doing?
Why isn't Luno wearing an undershirt to sleep?
Wait, what exactly did I just see?
Calm down, Ray, you're a gentleman!
Why is little Ray standing at attention?
Useless thing, take a couple of punches to clear your head!'
"What's wrong? What's wrong?"
Anby suddenly popped out from the Tacet Mark, its little head swiveling alertly as it carefully surveyed the surroundings. "Did something happen? I suddenly felt your frequency become very chaotic, and your heartbeat got really fast too. Did you run into danger?"
"It's nothing." Ray covered his face, taking deep breaths to suppress the restless urges inside. "Just a normal physiological reaction."
"Physiological reaction?" Anby tilted its head in confusion, its little nose suddenly twitching slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about, but my nose is twitching. There must be something delicious nearby!"
The little creature nimbly followed the scent to the dining table. Seeing the table laden with sumptuous food, its eyes instantly lit up.
"Wow, what a lavish breakfast!" Anby turned its head, looking at Ray with eager eyes. "Can I have some?"
"Of course, eat as much as you like."
"Then I won't hold back!"
Having received permission, Anby immediately dove into the embrace of the feast. Ray turned and walked into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face. Only after his emotions had settled did he begin washing up.
Perhaps the commotion outside finally disturbed the peace within the bedroom. Luno slowly stirred from her slumber. She stretched like a lazy cat, the thin nightgown outlining gentle curves with her movements.
"Mmm... that was a really good sleep. Is it morning already?"
Yawning, Luno adjusted her collar as she stepped out of the room, just running into Ray, who had just emerged from the bathroom.
The latter was momentarily stunned. The urges he had just managed to suppress seemed to show signs of flaring up again.
'What's wrong with me today?
How did it get this hard to control?'
"What's up? You look really strange." Luno, of course, didn't know that her maiden purity had already been fully exposed to him. As she spoke, her gaze was drawn to Anby feasting nearby. "Huh? Where did this little thing come from? So cute."
"Little thing? I'm Anby!" Abby turned around, tilting its head to look at Luno. "Huh? Not Lupa? How long has it been? Another girl again?"
"Again?" Luno blinked in confusion before turning her gaze to Ray. "Is this your Echo?"
"Mm." Ray nodded awkwardly, his body slightly hunched over.
Don't ask why he was hunched over.
If you must know, it's uncomfortable.
"How interesting." Luno examined Anby. After a moment, she gave a light laugh. "Well, that's fine. Strolling with a cute little thing is nice too. We have many places to go today, Ray. Are you ready? Oh, why are you hunched over?"
"It's nothing, just feeling a bit off."
"Is that so?" Though Luno found it a bit odd, she didn't dwell on it. "Then get dressed, and let's set off!"
...
...
Amidst the clamor of Capitoline Hill City's market streets, Phrolova's solitary figure seemed exceptionally still, as if separated from the surrounding liveliness by an invisible wall.
She stopped in front of a fruit stall, her gaze lingering on the vibrant red currants for a long time, lost in thought.
If red currants and jam were incorporated into the honey cake recipe, perhaps that singular sweetness could gain a few more layers.
Unless necessary, Phrolova never set foot in Capitoline Hill City lightly.
Though monitoring Ray was currently a critical task, after lingering in the city for too long, she would always withdraw to her cave outside the city, enjoying that brief yet precious peace.
Besides, at this moment, what could he...
do for me anyway?
Carrying a basket filled with red currants, she was just about to turn and leave when she collided head-on with a young man approaching.
The crimson fruit scattered across the ground, rolling on the stone pavement like fallen gems.
"My sincere apologies! I wasn't paying attention just now—" The young man hastily crouched down to help pick them up but froze upon looking up and recognizing the other person. "Phrolova?"