"Haah…"
Ashen thought about the course of action he could take now. Even if his assumptions ultimately proved incorrect, it was never a bad idea to have a plan for the worst-case scenario.
'Now that she has already chosen this path, there's no going back. So let's focus on damage control.'
As he thought this, his attention turned to the one who would do the 'corrupting.'
This individual would likely be responsible for shaping the direction of her lust.
If he were some sick bastard who treated her like a piece of meat—
"No, no. Let's not go there." Ashen hurriedly shook his head, feeling a nameless anger threatening to take over.
"Positive thoughts, positive thoughts…" he murmured, trying to steady his temper. Then, as if to affirm his own reasoning, he started talking out loud.
"How about a gentleman? Yes! A good guy who will love her and fulfill all her desires, never making her feel like she's missing something!"
Running his fingers through her golden locks, he continued nodding to himself, still trying to drive out the blasphemous images from earlier.
"He also has to protect her from others… and sometimes even from herself!" As he kept rambling, mana seeped from his fingers into Seraphine, drawn to her where he was absentmindedly caressing her.
His skill, Lucid Dreamweaving, reacted.
Ashen was about to retract his hand, but his instincts whispered for him to keep going.
This was a good thing.
A system notification flickered before his eyes:
[Lucid Dreamweaving ^ – (Entry)]
The message vanished in an instant, confirming his thoughts and reassuring him that continuing was the right choice.
With that out of the way, Ashen couldn't help but return to his earlier thoughts.
"...Hmm, yes. Finding a solution is a step forward, no matter how shaky. But where will she find such a responsible, strong, and reliable man…?"
He hesitated.
"Should I find him myself and play matchmaker…?" Now he was entering crazy territory.
And he realized it, too, as he suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
More than that, the entire idea made him deeply uncomfortable, and he knew exactly why… he was just still in denial.
Not to mention, her Guarded Devotion trait…
Speaking of that, there was a crucial detail both he and Seraphine had knowingly or unknowingly ignored.
That trait made her heart guarded in matters of romance, meaning that when she said she liked him, it was probably a lot more than she let on.
It was like a sturdy wall that refused to let anyone in, but if something actually broke through, the result could only be a flood.
In other words, there was no casual like in Seraphine's dictionary.
If she went in, she went all in.
And now, with her fixation locked on a single man, once the choice was made… where would that bring them?
Neither of them had a real solution to this, which was probably why neither of them brought it up.
With his heart still lingering on Alice and Seraphine, unable to move on despite knowing this, the situation felt like an absolute fuck fest… especially with her now dozing in his bed while he absentmindedly caressed her like it was nobody's business.
Ashen let out a bitter smile.
But he couldn't blame her for any of this. Guarded Devotion had likely manifested as her subconscious mind's way of protecting her from her own innocence.
After all, with such a trait, she had a much higher chance of choosing someone actually good, someone who wouldn't try to screw her over the moment he discovered her nature.
And now, with her choosing him, the responsibility fell on his shoulders to repay the devotion she had guarded so dearly—just to end up being snatched by him instead.
These thoughts flashed through his mind, making it race with countless scenarios, almost driving him insane.
Then, like a switch flipping, a wonderful solution presented itself.
"Ah, fuck it. I should just stop whining like a pussy and claim them both. Easy, right?"
Such an absurd thought popped into his head.
As he ran his other hand through his hair, the idea, initially impossible, began to make way too much sense.
"Yes. This is how true men should be. Why am I fussing over every little thing?" The more he spoke, the more convinced he became that this was the correct solution.
"I'll probably end up getting my ass kicked by two angry lionesses when they hear about this…" A shred of sanity tried to return, but he quickly stomped it out with another round of self-brainwashing.
"No! No! Don't think in that direction, man! I just need to find a way to make them understand why they have to share me! Yes, that's more like it." He nodded to himself, a slightly creepy grin stretching across his face.
Sadly, no one was around to witness this lunacy… except for the blissfully unaware Seraphine.
And so… the madness continued.
"Come to think of it, wasn't Alice always harping about Sera? Sera this, Sera that… Well! If I bring her Sera as a sister nonetheless, she shouldn't be too mad, right?"
His grin widened.
"Now, all that's left is somehow convincing these two proud women to share. Given my current relationship with Alice… that's a tall order. So I'll just leave this very important and highly classified mission to my future self."
He leaned back against the headboard, stretching his arms with a contented sigh.
"I wish him luck."
…Spoken like a true Sloth.
…
After offering a silent prayer to his future self, Ashen felt refreshed.
With most of his problems now practically solved (or so he believed), he decided to take a little nap. Maybe even test out the upgraded skill?
'Yeah, let's do it. What could go wrong, right?'
And with that, he let the skill's effects wash over him, drifting into a peaceful slumber… right beside Seraphine.