There's scientific evidence suggesting that a warm glass of milk before bed improves sleep quality. The proteins and nutrients in milk help stabilize mood and regulate hormone secretion, calming both body and mind.
After finishing her milk, Dashley quickly slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep her breathing light, her lips faintly curved in a gentle smile that made it almost a crime to disturb her.
Of course, sleeping face-down in a swimsuit on the edge of the pool wasn't exactly ideal. Seeing this, Ethan Chen kindly scooped her up and carried her back to her room. With a towel, he carefully dried the water from her upper body, laid her down on the bed, and even poured a glass of water to place on the nightstand just in case she woke up disoriented and thirsty.
After finishing all of this, Ethan quietly left the room and returned to the poolside.
The party wasn't over yet. The music still played. The night was still young.
When Ada Wong saw Ethan return not long after carrying Dashley inside, she gave Tifa a sharp slap on her round hips and smirked, "You lost."
"Lost what?" Ethan asked, amused. "Were you two betting on something?"
"Exactly," Ada said with a soft laugh. "Tifa was worried you'd take advantage of her. I said you wouldn't. So we made a bet."
"You deserve a little payback," Ethan said, playfully giving Tifa's rear a light smack of his own then another for good measure. The red marks stood out vividly against her pale skin.
"Seriously? You don't trust me at all?" he said with mock offense. "Is my character really that questionable?"
"I was just worried…" Tifa murmured, biting her lip and casting a shy, sidelong glance at him. Compared to Ada's slap, Ethan's touch wasn't particularly rough but it left a different impression entirely.
Ada's was purely sharp pain. Ethan's, though… was like slapping a ripe, juicy peach enough to make it burst.
"Let's play something else," Ethan said, slipping his arm around Tifa's waist and gently massaging the spot he had just smacked. The massage became slower… deeper… like exploring soft, muddied earth with his fingertips.
"What game?" 2B asked, handing Ethan a glass of orange juice to help him rehydrate.
"Russian Roulette," Ethan replied casually, lounging back on a poolside recliner with Tifa. "Simple rules. Twenty tries per person. Whoever gets the bullet wins."
"That's not how Russian Roulette works," Ada replied dryly. "And what's the reward?"
"The bullet is the reward," Ethan grinned. "All right, let's begin. Tifa's up first."
Tifa bit her lip again and pressed her palms to Ethan's chest, slowly lifting herself. With Ada's help, she lowered herself onto his lap settling in as if she were sitting on a throne. Only once she was fully seated did she begin to move rising and falling rhythmically, her curvaceous figure casting swaying shadows over Ethan's face, completely immersed in their little version of "Russian Roulette."
Meanwhile…
Having downed a glass of warm milk, Dashley slept soundly through the night, not even waking once to use the bathroom. When she did awaken in the morning, she didn't immediately get up. She stared at the ornate ceiling mural above her, lost in thought.
Was that all just a dream?
She vaguely remembered drinking too much and being helped to her room by Tifa. Then nothing but dreams. Embarrassingly vivid ones.
She dreamt Ethan had leaned over her, kissed her lips, cupped her full chest, and whispered indecent things in her ear. But just before things could go any further, the dream had abruptly stopped like something vital had been cut away.
Then she woke up.
Or… did she?
It was all hazy. She remembered getting up to find some water, and seeing Tifa, Ada, and 2B lined up at the edge of the pool with Ethan, enjoying what looked like a rather intimate pool party. She remembered Ethan inviting her to join them… and she accepted. She had thrown herself into his arms, kissed him passionately, and discovered the sweetness of a real kiss.
It felt so real.
She even remembered what came next the overwhelming heat of Ethan's presence, the surreal feeling of being pressed against the pool's edge, her senses spinning, her breath catching in her throat. Every touch, every sound, was burned into her memory.
But was any of it real?
Her body didn't feel any different. No soreness, no signs of anything unusual.
And yet… her lips felt strangely tender.
The confusion left Dashley frozen in bed, unsure how to face Ethan and the others.
Just then, a voice called from outside the door:
"Dashley, you awake? Want to get breakfast?"
The voice snapped her out of her daze. "Yes! I'm up just give me a second!"
She quickly got dressed, brushed her teeth in the room's private bathroom, and composed herself. As for what happened last night… she could only chalk it up to a vivid dream for now.
There was no way she could walk up to Ethan and ask if he'd done anything "inappropriate" to her in the middle of the night. That would just be far too humiliating for any girl.
Dressed and ready, Dashley stepped out of the room and into the shared suite. When she spotted Ethan and the others in the living room, her steps faltered slightly. But in the end, she forced a smile and greeted them warmly.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Morning," Ethan replied, standing up as if nothing unusual had happened. "Let's grab breakfast first, then figure out the rest of the day."
The group made their way to the second-floor banquet hall for the complimentary breakfast buffet. No reason not to take advantage of what was free.
After polishing off their breakfast, Mona was the first to speak up.
"I'm heading back to the ship. Not really in the mood to wander around today."
A self-proclaimed shut-in, Mona had already bought the astrological equipment she needed there was no reason for her to linger. She was itching to test it out.
"I'm going to the workshop," Ada added. "Want to check on the bullets the craftsman's making for me."
Her gun didn't use the flintlock rounds common in this world. Instead, it required centerfire cartridges fixed ammunition with a primer at the base. The craftsman had claimed he could replicate the design, but the bullets were expensive, and their quality remained uncertain.
"I'm buying groceries," Tifa chimed in. "We need to fill the new fridge."
"All right," Ethan nodded. "You three stick together for now. Drop Mona off at the ship, and keep an eye on each other."
Plans settled, Ethan headed off with 2B and Dashley toward the weapons shop from yesterday. He had left the Onikiri blade there to have a custom sheath made.
As they walked, Ethan occasionally stole glances at Dashley's face.
She hasn't said a single thing about last night. Could it be… she really doesn't remember?
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