Chapter 230: Departure! To Lucoa's World!
The next morning, at the luxury villa in Meguro.
"Ara~!"
"Why are you so low-energy this early in the morning? Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Lucoa asked knowingly as Ryohei Tanaka, looking drained, walked into the living room and covered his mouth to stifle a yawn.
"Yeah, a little," Ryohei mumbled in agreement.
He then saw Lucoa lounging lazily on the sofa, her arms crossed over her ample bust, her long, stocking-clad legs crossed. She smiled and silently mouthed two words at him:
"——So... drained!"
Ryohei's mouth twitched. He couldn't just let that slide. He strode over, his left hand clamping down on her slender shoulder and his right hand pinching her pale, delicate chin. "What did you say?" he growled. "Who's drained? I am not! Slandering me requires punishment!"
"Oho~, Ryohei-kun is so cute when he's trying to act tough~!" Lucoa hummed, her face full of amusement.
"Right, right! 'Cute,' am I? Turn over, I'm going to 'teach you a lesson'!" Ryohei pulled at her.
Lucoa put on a show of resisting, lightly pressing the tip of her foot against his chest to push him away. She held up one long, pale finger, smiling like a fox. "I can use my body to... replenish Ryohei-kun's mana... and restore his strength! Need help?"
She looked at him as if to say, "Just ask, and I'll help."
"Hmm?" Ryohei paused, his hand still holding her silk-clad ankle. He looked down at her thoughtfully. "That sounds... highly improper. But it does fit your character..."
"..." Lucoa genuinely faltered for a second. "What do you mean, 'fits my character'!? Do you see me as some kind of indecent, lewd woman!?"
Seeing her composure crack, Ryohei smiled, letting go of her ankle. "Ah! You know, I do feel a little 'drained.' Lucoa, help me."
"You're just changing the subject!"
...
In the end, however, Lucoa helped him.
Afterward, she remarked, "I feel like I just nursed a child."
...
Not long after the "mana replenishment," a radiant and glowing Yurine Hanazono came downstairs. The group then headed to Stardew Valley Ranch.
"Ohayou."
Ryohei greeted Jashin-chan, who was busy at the kitchen stove. After being "drained," he always felt lazy the next day. He had messaged Jashin-chan last night and asked her to prepare breakfast.
"Ohayou," Jashin-chan, in a high ponytail and a white frilly apron, replied politely.
Yurine peeked over her shoulder. "Are we having sandwiches this morning?"
"Yep, three kinds of sandwiches, with milk. Do you want to try some now?" Jashin-chan asked. Some were already made.
"No, let's wait for Minos and JII to eat together," Yurine said, waving her hand.
Ryohei smiled. "I'm not in a hurry."
...
Meanwhile, in the Demon World, inside an ancient castle.
Medusa, in her cute pajamas, woke up to a message from Ryohei.
He was planning to open a dessert shop and wanted to develop a "show-stopping" dessert for the opening. He asked her to help gather information on Demon World desserts and, if possible, buy some related ingredients for Minos to pick up tomorrow.
"..." Medusa was surprised he was opening a dessert shop, and immediately excited to see what he would create. She had absolute faith in his skills.
She replied with a "Leave it to me!" emoji and added: "I'll do my best to find what you need! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧!"
Bzz bzz—!
Her phone vibrated. Ryohei had sent back a "Please, I'm begging you" (deep bow) emoji.
"..." A small smile played on Medusa's lips, followed by a wave of pressure. This was the first time Ryohei had asked her for a favor. She had to do this right.
She quickly messaged her boss to request a day off, then hopped in the shower—a habit of several thousand years.
After washing up, Medusa had a maid notify the chef to prepare breakfast. She then sat down at her computer. The Demon World had computers; they had most things the human world did. But Medusa's skills were particularly good, easily better than 90% of demons.
She already had a plan. She would start by researching online, then head to the markets later to buy the ingredients.
...
Back in the human world, at Stardew Valley Ranch.
"Well, Minos, the supply run is up to you today."
After breakfast, Ryohei tossed the car keys to Minos.
She caught them, put one hand on her hip, and thumped her chest with a fist. "Leave it to us! We'll get it done!"
Lucoa promptly opened a portal for Minos and Jashin-chan to return to the Tokyo villa. Ryohei then turned to her.
"Let's head out, too."
He glanced at Yurine and JII, giving them a cool wave. "See you this afternoon."
"Okay. Be careful," Yurine nodded, her eyes following Ryohei and Lucoa as they stepped into a new portal.
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