<h4>Chapter 156: Viin Simtor, Ch 155</h4>


    It had to be said—Jean''s decision to let the expedition team rest at Dawn Winery was undoubtedly the right call.


    There''s nothing quite asforting as waking up in a warm, cozy bed. However, this particr warmth seemed a little <i>too</i>fortable—almost as if it were at a precise 36.5 degrees.


    Lucas slowly opened his eyes, intending to stretchzily as usual. But to his surprise, his arm was restrained by something—or rather, someone.


    Looking down, Lucas nearly gasped aloud.


    E was lying beside him, her arms wrapped tightly around his, her face rxed in peaceful slumber.


    ncing around the room, Lucas noticed that Jean''s bed had already been neatly made, while Lumine and Paimon were still fast asleep.


    Just then, E stirred, rubbing her eyes groggily before slowly waking up. She froze the moment she realized she wasn''t alone in bed.


    "You... You''ve got some nerve!" E eximed, her face flushing crimson. "How dare you sneak into <i>my</i> bed!"


    "Take another look, will you?" Lucas replied with a smile. "This is <i>my</i> bed!"


    E blinked in confusion before ncing over at the other bed. Sure enough, her own bedding was tossed aside, her sheets in disarray.


    "Don''t tell me... Did I get up in the middle of the night and identally climb into the wrong bed when I came back?" she muttered to herself, trying to piece together the situation.


    As a noblewoman used to her own space, E wasn''t ustomed to shared sleeping arrangements. It wasn''t hard to imagine her mistakenly crawling into the wrong bed during the night.


    "Rise and shine!"


    With a cheerful shout, Lumine leapt out of bed, brimming with energy. "That was the best sleep I''ve had in ages!"


    "Yaaaawn..." Paimon stretched with azy yawn, still drowsy. "Can''t I sleep just a little longer?"


    "No cking!" Lumine grabbed Paimon and began dragging her off the bed. "Captain Jean''s already up and about!"


    "But Lucas is still asleep!" Paimon pointed toward Lucas, her brows furrowed. "Wait... Where''s E?"


    Lucas stiffened, pulling the nket higher. Underneath it, E huddled against his side, her presence concealed.


    "She must''ve woken up early too," Lucas said, offering an awkward smile. "Probably went to the restroom or something."


    "Really?" Paimon tilted her head, puzzled. "I didn''t think E was the early bird type."


    "Oh, she is," Lucas replied hastily. "I heard she has a... well, let''s just say she has some health habits that make her get up early. Something about... needing the restroom urgently in the morning."


    "Hmm..." Paimon looked unconvinced but didn''t press further.


    Suddenly, Lucas winced, his expression tightening as if in pain.


    Under the covers, E had chomped down on his arm in silent fury, clearly displeased with his excuse.


    "Is everything alright?" Lumine asked, raising an eyebrow. "What''s under your nket? You''re holding it awfully tight."


    Although the morning chill lingered, Lucas''s athletic physique meant he didn''t need to bundle up quite so much.


    "Ah-ha!" Paimon hovered in front of him, grinning mischievously. "Are you hiding something delicious under there? Maybe... Sweet Madame?"


    "Who in their right mind would stash food under their nket?" Lucas said, hurriedlying up with a distraction. "I... I''m used to sleeping half-naked. You guys go out first. I need to change clothes... Anyway, you should hurry! Dawn Winery''s breakfast is supposed to be amazing, but if you''rete, it might all be gone!"


    "No way!"


    At the mention of food, Paimon immediately perked up, grabbing Lumine''s hand. "Let''s go, quick!"


    "Wait, Paimon, slow down!" Lumine protested as the littlepanion dragged her out of the room.


    The door clicked shut, and Lucas let out a sigh of relief. He threw off the nket, revealing E, still in her pajamas, biting his arm indignantly. Because of the sudden loss of the nket, her body also subconsciously shrank slightly due to the cold.


    "You''re still biting me?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. "We almost got caught because of you."


    "Well, whose fault is that?" E released his arm and red at him. "You''re the one spouting nonsense! Calling me... constipated?!"


    "Well, what was I supposed to say?" Lucas retorted.


    E puffed her cheeks in annoyance, only for Lucas to smirk mischievously. Grabbing her slender arm, he leaned down and gently bit her wrist in return.


    Though he didn''t bite hard, E yelped in surprise, snatching her arm back. Faint teeth marks were now visible on her otherwise wless skin.


    "You''ve got some nerve!"


    E''s face flushed even deeper as she balled her fists. "You think you can just do that? Fine, I''ll bite you until you bleed! The name ''Lawrence'' will be written backward if I don''t!"


    Her fiery derationunched them into a yful tussle.


    Their scuffle was more yful than serious, filled with light-hearted teasing. At one point, there was a faint tearing sound—the silky fabric of E''s pajamas had ripped slightly, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her pale skin beneath.


    Realizing their close proximity, both froze. The atmosphere shifted, a faint tension filling the air.


    "So..." Lucas finally broke the silence, his tone sly. "About that man in your mirage yesterday... Who was he?"


    E''s eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden question. Already flustered, her cheeks deepened to a vivid red.


    "Th-that''s none of your business!" she stammered, avoiding his gaze.


    "Oh? So it wasn''t me, then?" Lucas feigned disappointment, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Must''ve been some other man."


    "I... I didn''t say it was another man!" As if afraid that Lucas might misunderstand, E hurriedly exined, "It''s... it''s you, so what? It''s just a fantasy, it can''t be real."


    "Well, if this keeps up..." Lucas leaned closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Maybe it''ll be real."


    "Tch..." E now had the upper hand, standing tall with a cold smirk. "You have the desire but not the guts. You''re just talking big..."


    Before she could finish, Lucas suddenly flipped over, turning the situation upside down in an instant, gaining control.


    "Right, I do love to talk, but something else is big too," Lucas grinned. "Want to try it out?"


    Although E is virgin, she frequently visited taverns and overheard some crude talk, so she had a general idea of what Lucas meant.


    "If you dare, then go ahead," E didn''t refuse, but scoffed. "I can''t resist now anyway. If it''s just to repay the favor for when you helped me, I''m fine with that."


    Her words carried a mix of pride and vulnerability.


    [Image here]


    "Well, since you put it that way, I can''t back out now." Lucas chuckled softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "Paimon was right. I hid something tasty under the nket. Do you want to try?"


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    Author''s Note: :)