Chapter 218: I Wouldn't Even Dare to Dream of Such a Good Thing!
By the time they finished all the paperwork and the official handover, it was past 4 PM.
After the Akino couple left, Ryohei Tanaka had Lucoa use her magic to refurbish the entire ranch. She restored all the buildings and equipment to a brand-new state and, while she was at it, placed a purification magic circle in the barn.
"It's like we just bought a fully-equipped, brand-new ranch that just started operating!"
Ryohei stood in the clean, odorless barn, happily watching the automated system deliver feed into the cattle troughs. This was the real-life ranching game of his dreams! No hard work, no dirt, no smell. It was easy, pleasant, and felt amazing.
"Ahem~."
A certain big sister hummed, her lips curved upward. She placed her left hand on her slender hip, her right hand on her ample chest, and tilted her chin up, fishing for compliments.
"I put in a lot of 'hard work' today. I'm the biggest contributor. Ryohei-kun must reward me properly, or it just wouldn't be right!"
Ryohei's mind instantly flashed to a scene... "rewarding her properly" in a dimly lit room... He was getting lewd.
He quickly shook it off and waved his hand, pretending to be magnanimous. "As a reward, you get three hours of unlimited, all-you-can-eat access at the restaurant tonight!"
"Ehh? Ryohei-kun, that reward is so half-hearted!" Lucoa whined, feigning dissatisfaction.
Yurine, meanwhile, had her hands behind her back, watching a calf eat with great interest. She was so used to Lucoa's suggestive talk that, at this point, she couldn't be bothered to react to something so mild. She reached out and poked the calf's head.
The calf was adorable—covered in fine, brown-black fur, with a round body, a goofy head, a wet nose, and big, dark, moist eyes full of innocent goofiness.
When Yurine touched it, the calf immediately lifted its head and nudged her hand. Yurine felt herself being healed. Her expression softened, a gentle smile appearing on her face, and even her voice became softer. "This calf is so friendly. Not shy at all."
"Yeah," Ryohei said, glancing over. "It probably hasn't seen many people, and the old couple took good care of it, so it's naturally friendly to us two-legged creatures."
He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Yurine's soft, fragrant body, and joked, "Actually, I'm very friendly, too."
"Me too!" Lucoa slyly joined in, hugging both of them.
Yurine, who had been enjoying the warm moment, was instantly annoyed. She squinted at Lucoa.
'You're not a dragon, you're a fox, aren't you? So cunning! So shameless! You take every single chance to stick to him!'
Yurine was exasperated. After fuming internally for a few seconds, she leaned against Ryohei and told Lucoa, "Let go!"
"Hmm? Yurine, you're so cold!" Lucoa put on a dramatic, hurt expression, but she let them go and stepped back.
Yurine squinted at her. "Because your motives aren't pure..." 'The only reason I'm not fighting you is because I have a good temper!'
"Actually, my motives aren't pure, either," Ryohei chimed in, a thought suddenly crossing his mind.
Before Yurine could react, he "ambushed" her, taking advantage of her being completely unguarded.
Yurine's body stiffened. She shyly broke free from his embrace and turned, swatting his "perverted hand" reproachfully.
Lucoa watched from the side, envious, wishing she could be "ambushed" too.
...
"By the way, someone has to stay here tonight, right?"
After feeding the dairy and wagyu cows and locking the barn, the group prepared to return to Tokyo. "We can't just leave the ranch unattended," Yurine said.
"Right," Ryohei agreed. He opened the car door and explained his plan. "I'm thinking of having Minos and JII come over later. And bring Bet..."
"Pfft—! Making a cow raise cows!"
This seemed to hit Yurine's funny bone. Her cheeks puffed up, and she burst out laughing. She clutched her stomach with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, completely losing it.
"..."
Ryohei looked at Yurine, speechless. She's a Minotaur, not technically a cow... even if she did have cow-like features and a... unique fashion sense.
"Ryohei-kun." Lucoa opened the back door and sat down. "Are we going home first or straight to the restaurant?"
"To the restaurant." Ryohei got in, fastened his seatbelt, and looked at Lucoa in the rearview mirror. "After dinner, take Minos and JII home. Have them grab their clothes, two blankets, and Bet, then bring them back here."
"Got it," Lucoa replied. With a thought, a spatial portal to the restaurant's empty parking space opened in front of the car.
Yurine, who had already gotten in and buckled up, said, "I want to soak in the hot spring tonight~."
The Japanese have a deep love for baths and onsen, and they wanted to indulge. Ryohei was also eager to try his new private hot spring.
He drove the car slowly through the portal, parked, and said, "Let's all go soak after the restaurant closes."
"Okay," Lucoa replied, smiling like a fox.
Yurine wasn't angry. She just smiled at Ryohei. "Ryohei-kun, do you want the three of us to soak together?"
"I wouldn't even dare to dream of such a good thing," Ryohei waved his hand.
His words left Yurine speechless.
Lucoa opened her door, her long, black-stocking-clad leg touching the ground. "You have to have dreams," she grinned. "What if they come true?"
'My kidneys would be in agony,' Ryohei thought cheekily. 'It would be a mix of pain and pleasure, right?'
Aloud, he said, "We'll talk about it if it happens."
"You still want it to happen!?" Yurine exclaimed, playfully "pummeling" him as they walked into the restaurant.
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