Chapter 402: Chapter 29: Ailorus Is the Woman Who Can Become My Mother
Ordinarily, Westheid might have just thought it was a sign of shyness and not given it a second thought.
But in his state of deep thought, Duke Qinghui’s mind was extremely meticulous, recalling every little detail of his past interactions with Ailorus.
In his memory, Ailorus rarely ever blushed. Most of the time, she wore a faint, pleasant smile. Rather than shyness, it was more like a kind of... anticipation and excitement?
Westheid had always believed Ailorus liked the powerful and majestic Hero type. The Wind Law Queen herself had always said as much, but thinking about it now, that didn’t seem to be the whole picture.
In their limited interactions before, Ailorus had mostly acted with decorum. The few times she had taken the initiative to do something out of the ordinary—feeding him, massaging his shoulders, and this current healing—all seemed like cute, intimate acts. However, upon careful consideration, there was something odd about them.
’My astonishing wisdom has presented me with a bold hypothesis. Could it be... Ah, forget it. I’ll just give it a try.’
As for whether it would be social suicide? Westheid would like to see who dared to speak ill of him now!
"Ailorus..."
Westheid pursed his lips and began to speak.
"Since you put it that way, there is indeed something I need you to do... Could you... pat my head?"
"!!!"
Ailorus’s eyes widened. Stunned, she asked, "W-Why?"
Westheid remained expressionless. "There is no why. I just want you to. Just think of it as indulging a little quirk of mine."
But that didn’t sound very convincing. Westheid thought for a moment. ’Half-hearted sincerity is no sincerity at all.’
’For the Thousand Laws Ceremony! For the Ten Thousand Wind Melodies! I’m going all in!’
He took another deep breath and said with a serious expression:
"I believe you are a woman who could become my mother, Ailorus!"
The words had barely left his mouth when, forget the Wind Law Queen’s reaction, even the attendants nearby couldn’t keep a straight face. They shot Westheid an exceptionally peculiar look.
’What kind of role-play is this!?’
’Shouldn’t it be the tall, strong man who sees the Elf Lolita as a daughter, according to common sense?’
’Is this some kind of Reversed Celestial Spirit? And from Westheid’s own mouth, no less!’
’We thought Duke Qinghui was just a promiscuous libertine, but to think he had this side to him... It’s truly unexpected.’
’Humans sure are kinky.’
Upon hearing this, Ailorus’s clear, sacred-cyan eyes brightened. She twirled a strand of hair by her shoulder with her slender, pale fingers and said:
"If W-West likes this kind of role-play, then of course... Absolutely! There’s nothing wrong with it at all."
’Just as I thought!’
That one small change in address let Westheid know his guess was likely correct. He gave a soft chuckle and knelt before the Elf Lolita.
Ailorus clenched one hand into a fist, tapping it against her chest as if to calm herself. Her other hand slowly reached out and gently stroked the man’s night-black hair.
At first, she was as careful as if dusting off a precious relic. Then, she unconsciously rose onto her tiptoes and began to stroke the man’s soft, black hair more forcefully, feeling the fluffy space between the strands.
A rosy, satisfied blush, far deeper than at any time before, spread across Ailorus’s delicate, pretty face. She said in a syrupy-sweet voice:
"How is it? Is this okay?"
"It feels quite nice. Please, continue."
"Mhm!"
The Elf Lolita nodded emphatically, moving closer to the man until she was nearly pressed against Westheid’s body, and resumed stroking his fine hair.
As if cradling a beloved pet, or perhaps mesmerized by a priceless treasure, Ailorus’s sacred-cyan eyes were filled with tenderness.
He let Ailorus indulge herself to her heart’s content, until the Wind Law Queen finally lowered her hand, completely satisfied.
"Is that all?"
But Westheid had already confirmed his new strategy and naturally had to strike while the iron was hot. He mused for a moment, then said:
"This might be a bit hard to ask, but I’d like to rest my head on your lap for a bit."
Duke Qinghui blinked and offered an explanation for his request:
"I know this is a very forward request, but I just can’t help myself."
"Is that so? Well, nothing to be done about it then. Nothing at all. After all, I must grant West’s wishes."
Ailorus kept saying it couldn’t be helped, but her charming, pretty face was beaming with delight.
And so, in the warm, tranquil, steam-filled courtyard, the Elf Lolita knelt on a blanket, patted her smooth, fair thighs under her pleated skirt, and said:
"Please."
Westheid lay down as well, gently resting the back of his head on the Wind Law Queen’s lap, which felt exquisite to the touch.
Seeing this, the accompanying attendants silently withdrew from the hot spring courtyard, leaving the two of them alone.
They withdrew, but not completely. It was proper to give their superiors privacy during intimate moments, but they also had to remain vigilant, ready to appear before their lord at a moment’s notice.
For people of their Status, like Duke Qinghui and the Wind Law Queen, almost nothing was truly a private matter, and they were experts at ignoring the presence of others.
From Westheid’s point of view, looking up, Ailorus’s exquisitely beautiful and flawless face was tinged with a rosy blush. Her sacred-cyan eyes shimmered, and the Elf Lolita’s cherry-pink lips parted slightly. Her voice was soft and gentle:
"West, are you feeling tired?"
Westheid raised an arm to cover his eyes. "I am a bit exhausted. I’ve been on campaign constantly. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a proper rest."
This was a lie. For an ambitious, greedy, and enterprising man like Westheid, as long as he was striding grandly down the right path, nothing could extinguish his passion.
As for resting... that part was true. Having had his wounds healed by the Ten Thousand Wind Melodies, it was as if a great weight had finally been lifted from his mind, and a wave of weariness quickly washed over him.
"Then sleep. It’s alright... I’ll always be watching over you."
Hearing this, the misty look in Ailorus’s beautiful, sacred-cyan eyes deepened. Westheid could feel the Wind Law Queen’s soft, delicate body trembling slightly. She placed her small hand on his face, her tone one that could only be described as doting.
She stroked the man’s cheek and hair again and again, as if she couldn’t bear to stop. Yet her movements weren’t disruptive; they only made Westheid feel as if he were basking in a spring breeze.
As Ailorus combed her fingers through Westheid’s hair, she began to sing a long, beautiful melody.
It was an Elven-style song. Westheid remembered it as a well-known nursery rhyme.
’She’s really treating me like a child. I don’t know what to say.’
’Wait, is Ailorus using the Ten Thousand Wind Melodies in her singing?’
’Seriously? Is this what you use Divine Power for? What a colossal waste!’
Even though Ailorus was using it to help him recuperate, Westheid couldn’t help but feel it was absurd.
But enveloped in the song laced with Divine Power, he still disgracefully sank into a sweet, sweet slumber.
