Lost in thought, Ayra made her way toward the Mercenary Office.
The Mercenary Office was bustling as usual. As Ayra entered, Nadal immediately greeted her warmly.
"Welcome! Are you here to find Janus again?"
"Hello, Nadal. Is Janus here?"
"Yes, if you go up to the second floor, he'll be in the room at the very end. Have a good time!"
Nadal's words made Ayra feel a bit embarrassed, and she walked on. It seemed like everyone in the office knew that Ayra was Janus's lover, as curious glances followed her from all sides. However, no one likely suspected that she was the Lord of this estate. Ayra stepped onto the creaky stairs and ascended to the second floor.
The second floor seemed to be a temporary lodging for the mercenaries. There were people changing clothes with the door wide open, others covered in blood, and some were holding drunken parties in the middle of the day... In one room, a burly man was doing push-ups while standing on his hands, sweat dripping from his thick muscles, while in another room, shabby-dressed mages were huddled together, arguing passionately, writing out lengthy equations on the floor.
However, the room at the far end was free from such noise. Standing in front of the door, Ayra knocked lightly and cautiously opened it. Janus, who had been sitting by the window and gazing outside, turned his head when he heard the door open. As soon as he confirmed it was Ayra, he grinned, and just seeing that smile made Ayra’s heart flutter unexpectedly, leaving her flustered.
"...I was wondering when you'd show up again."
Beneath his tousled hair, his red eyes curved into a smile. His tone made it sound like he had been waiting for her. Although they had only been apart for a few days, it felt strangely like it had been much longer.
"I've been a bit busy."
Ayra closed the door behind her as she entered. The room, possibly a shared one, was quite spacious, and there were three beds, but it seemed that Janus was the only one using it, with not a single personal item belonging to anyone else.
"It seems that way. You're looking a bit thin. How hard have you been working?"
"Well, just the usual."
Ayra handed him two steamed buns she had bought. Janus took the buns from her and sat down on the bed near the window. After a brief hesitation, Ayra sat beside him. She felt strangely excited, as if this was her first experience with romance.
Watching Janus take a big bite of the steamed bun, Ayra did the same. When she checked her stat window, Janus’s favorability was still 3. The steamed buns were as delicious as always, but perhaps because she was so tired, Ayra didn't have much of an appetite, so she only ate half before putting it down.
‘Actually, I should probably just rest for a while...’
After putting up with Nilma Argan’s obnoxious behavior for days and being buried under a pile of paperwork, it seemed that Ayra had really missed seeing Janus. As soon as she saw him in person, she felt better. She pushed the remaining steamed bun toward him and asked, “What have you been doing? It doesn’t look like you're working as a mercenary.”
"These days, I'm just waiting."
Waiting? That tone didn’t seem like he was waiting for her, but it sounded like he was waiting for something else. After finishing the last of the steamed buns Ayra had bought, Janus, still looking a bit hungry, spoke up.
"I've been waiting for ten years to pass since I came here."
Hearing that, a memory came to mind. It was when Ayra first bought Janus a meal and they had talked. At that time, he had said he was looking for his lover and that he would leave once ten years passed, as he was getting tired of it.
Recalling that conversation made Ayra feel uneasy. She had never really thought their relationship was serious, but it was still unsettling to know that Janus might be planning to leave. It felt like she was being directly rejected, as if she wasn’t the one he was looking for. Despite her best efforts to restrain herself, she realized she had quietly given more of her heart to him over time than she had intended.
"So... are you planning to leave once the ten years are up?"
Ayra asked in a deliberately light tone, trying to test him. Janus, who had almost answered casually, suddenly closed his mouth and turned his head sharply. His large red eyes glistened, and his nose scrunched slightly.
"...I smell blood."
"Uh? Blood? Where from?"
Ayra asked, confused. It was the Mercenary Office, so it /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ wouldn't be strange if someone was bleeding somewhere. But for some reason, Janus’s gaze seemed fixed on Ayra. Tilting his head slightly, he reached out and touched her pale cheek. Just then, a warm liquid began to drip from her nose.
"Ah..."
Ayra quickly extended her hand to catch the blood dripping down from her upper lip and chin. Internally, she clicked her tongue. How sharp his senses were, to smell blood before it even started flowing.
The nosebleed seemed fairly severe, as Ayra quickly accumulated a small pool of blood on her palm. She had a tendency to get nosebleeds when she was exhausted, so she wasn’t particularly worried, but as she rummaged through her space to pull out a piece of cloth, she froze when she met Janus's gaze. His eyes were fixed on her face, following the blood dripping from her nose, across her lips, and pooling between them.
When his large hand cupped her face and pulled her toward him, Ayra finally realized what was happening and instinctively resisted.
"J-Janus, wait... No...! You pervert! Don't, ugh!"
When Janus’s soft tongue licked her lips, Ayra froze in shock. As she opened her mouth in surprise, his tongue pushed in, and the taste of blood made her feel nauseous. She never imagined someone would get excited seeing her nosebleed. Her body stiffened as she tried to pull away.
“No, mm, ugh, ...mm!”
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Ayra shook her head, but Janus stubbornly followed, licking the blood that had spilled from her lips. Every time his thick tongue passed between her lips, Ayra’s stomach twisted from the taste of her own blood. However, Janus's kisses continued until the bleeding stopped.
"...Should I?"
Janus lazily spoke while licking his lips as though he had just eaten something delicious. Ayra frowned at the thought, but when she looked up, Janus’s entire presence seemed bathed in red. His hair, his dark eyes, and even the corners of his mouth that curved upward.
“You really want this, don’t you?” Janus whispered, before easily lifting her and throwing her onto the bed.
"Wait!"
Ayra immediately jumped off the bed as he started to climb on top of her. Blood from her nose splattered all over her clothes and cheeks. If anyone had walked in, they might have mistaken it for a violent scene.
"I'm pretty sure I told you last time. If I faint this time, I won’t hold back."
Janus, with a frown, watched her struggle. Based on his hand heading towards her tunic, it was clear what he meant.
“Say it if you want it!”
Ayra quickly soaked the cloth she had in her hand with water and wiped her nose, lips, and chin clean. The idea of having a sweet kiss or a cream kiss seemed much better than a bloody kiss.
"Good. Let’s have sex, Ayra."
It was a blunt and explicit offer. As Ayra tossed the bloodstained cloth into the corner of the room, she took a cautious step backward. It was best to avoid perverts who got excited at strange times.
"I’ll make it even better than last time. Yeah... both of us will enjoy it."
His red tongue flicked out like a snake, licking the faint traces of blood from her lips. Ayra swallowed hard. Yeah, avoiding him seemed like the safest option... especially considering his size wasn’t exactly 9,999,999.
Hesitantly backing away, Ayra reached for the door handle, but Janus, bending forward, dashed toward her and slammed into her.
"Ah!"
Ayra yelped in surprise as the sound of the door shaking echoed. She felt a slight sting in her stomach, but it was nothing serious. She had almost cast a spell in defense, but Janus easily separated her from the door and lifted her onto his shoulder. Ayra, feeling like a sack of potatoes, began squirming in pain from the pressure on her stomach.
“Ugh, put me down!”
“Okay, you’re down.”
Janus tossed her lightly onto the bed. As Ayra hit the shabby bed, she gasped in pain, her back aching as though someone had slapped it hard. She furrowed her brows in pain, and when she looked up, Janus was about to climb on top of her.
Ayra refused to give up without a fight. She quickly jumped off the bed and tried to escape, but Janus just smiled slyly.
“I told you I’d make it good, didn’t I?”
His stamina wasn’t great, so he could have caught her quickly, but Janus leisurely pursued her, playing with his prey like a cat. After several rounds of chasing and cornering her, Janus stopped for a moment. Ayra, already worn out, stood near the window, breathing heavily, keeping her guard up.
“Hmm, hmm...”
Janus gently stroked his chin, tilting his head and murmuring.
"Ah... I see."
His lips curled into a smile.