He hadn't managed to eat lunch properly, and Sophia wasn't about to let things go that evening either. She insisted on sleeping with him.
Unable to refuse her, he had no choice but to agree. But worried that he might lose control and do something inappropriate, he chose to sleep together with Shiro instead.
That night, Sophia clung to his arm tightly like a spoiled girl.
Meanwhile, Shiro acted as if she had nothing to do with it, watching the whole scene with the expression of someone enjoying a show. Ash couldn't understand what was going through the mind of this seemingly icy girl.
Even more exaggerated, for the next three nights in a row, every time night fell, Sophia became like a little tail that simply couldn't be shaken off, always pressing herself close to Ash.
Her oversized "evil" rested on his arm every night, and she would lightly bite his shoulder as if teasing him, all while preventing him and Shiro from ever being alone together.
After several days of this, Ash couldn't help feeling that the whole thing was strangely familiar. It was almost like a father who had a child before marriage trying to introduce a new partner, only for the child to completely reject this "stepmother" and constantly get in the way.
Of course, none of them were actually related by blood. They weren't father and daughter, and Shiro was, in a sense, half a mother herself.
It couldn't be helped. The relationship among the three... no, the four of them was simply far too complicated.
Fortunately, or perhaps luckily, Ariel had been busy these past few days handling the aftermath and overseeing the general affairs of demon territory. Although she'd lived among the demons for years, this was the first time she'd ever worked so seriously, making it hard not to wonder what she was really planning.
Ariel left early and returned late every day, no one knew what she was busy with, while Ash spent each day being chased around by Sophia.
Every night, Sophia became an inseparable little tail, sticking tightly to him.
Her overly mature figure and enormous "evil" would always end up pressing against his arm, and every so often she'd bite his shoulder. The strength wasn't too light or too heavy, yet somehow seemed to carry another meaning, as if she were deliberately teasing him, making him feel an indescribable sense of unease.
He had always believed his heart was pure, but faced with such overwhelming "evil," it was being tested like never before.
After enduring several days of her relentless clinginess, Ash had finally run out of patience. Even something as ordinary as returning to his room to sleep now felt like a test of his self-control, reason, and moral limits.
Left with no choice, he came alone to the rooftop tower of the Demon King's castle, hoping to enjoy a little peace and quiet.
A fine drizzle was falling from the sky. Thin strands of rain drifted down like silk, covering the world in a hazy veil. The quiet atmosphere eased his mind a little.
"If this keeps up... forget researching magic, even my self-control is going to collapse..."
Sitting on a chair he'd carried up himself, he sipped from a glass while looking out over the city, silently wondering just how much longer that girl intended to keep this up.
Just as he was lost in thought, light footsteps echoed from the stairway, breaking the silence.
Looking up, he saw Ariel humming cheerfully as she walked over with a bright smile.
Before he could react, she had already reached him and casually sat down on his lap without a word.
The movement was so natural and intimate that it seemed like they'd long since gotten used to acting this way.
And in truth, they had.
For as long as he could remember, Ash had always unconsciously treated Ariel like one of the children back home, often pulling her into his arms without thinking.
Perhaps it was simply habit, or perhaps he was mentally exhausted. Tonight, he instinctively embraced the girl in his arms once again.
Feeling that familiar softness and warm body, he couldn't enjoy the moment as usual. Instead, suspicion crept into his mind.
"Don't tell me you've been using work as an excuse to avoid all this trouble?"
"Of course," Ariel admitted frankly with an innocent smile. Her legs swung lightly as she said leisurely, "Sophia's such a handful right now, and she's in the middle of an emotional outburst. If I got involved for no reason, I'd probably get caught up in it too. That'd be terribly unfair."
"You can actually say that with a straight face?"
"Why wouldn't I? I didn't do anything bad~"
"Weren't you the one who provided the alcohol? And...", Ash stared intently at Ariel's harmless smile, his suspicions growing stronger, "This is just a guess, but... when Shiro got drunk that time, you left on purpose, didn't you? Did you already know something like this would happen?"
"How could that be? I just...", Ariel began, only to be interrupted.
"Really?"
"Mm. You know, men who keep pestering girls usually aren't very popular," Unbothered by being interrupted, Ariel tilted her head, winked one eye, and looked at him with a faintly reproachful smile.
"Normally, I thought you'd take the same approach as Sophia instead of just letting things happen."
"Haha~ That's because I'm very good at acting obedient~ I haven't lived all these years for nothing," Ariel proudly put her hands on her hips, "Whether it's pretending to be a good person or pretending to be a timid, well-behaved girl, it's easy. Why would I act impulsively like a child?"
"Stop trying to muddle through. Being timid is a fact, not an act."
"In situations like this, knowing the truth but pretending not to is what a truly gentle adult would do."
Smiling like an elder giving advice, Ariel spoke earnestly enough to leave Ash speechless before he instinctively protested.
"I don't want a coward lecturing me about something this weird. Besides, I hardly ever get angry, and I'm generally pretty gentle with people. I'd say I'm a fairly refined person."
"By the way, what were we talking about again?", Ariel suddenly changed the subject.
"Have you gotten worse at changing the topic lately?"
"Birds of a feather, maybe?", Ariel replied with a grin.
"I think you just insulted me."
"Got any proof?", Ariel blinked innocently.
"Not in the mood to argue."
Lately he'd become too tired even to complain. He simply held the cute, though unusually ungentle today, girl a little tighter.
Strangely enough, feeling that familiar warmth eased the mental exhaustion that had built up over the past several days. He let out a long sigh.
Big had its advantages, but small really was comforting too.
"Were you thinking something weird again?", Ariel narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"No. I just suddenly thought... girls really are wonderful."
"Girls?", Ariel quietly repeated.
"Not in that sense."
He'd expected her to scold him the moment those words left his mouth, but instead she smiled.
"I thought an old woman like me wasn't even seen as a woman anymore."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden? If that were true, then what does it mean that I'm always holding you?"
"Oh~ So even you see me as a woman. You're quite something, aren't you? In more ways than one~"
There was obvious meaning behind her words, or at least, that's how they sounded to Ash.
Even so...
"I may have done plenty of things I shouldn't have, but I haven't actually gone that far, have I? Don't just decide I'm some kind of weirdo."
He was naturally unhappy about being labeled like that.
"Besides, I used to like one particular girl. That doesn't mean I like girls as a group. Those are fundamentally different things. You understand that too, don't you?"
"I don't really see a difference. Once you like one, people just assume you're into lolis. Though... speaking of that, 'done things?'"
"Do I really seem like that kind of person? I have principles."
Besides, he always felt it'd be wrong in many ways. If he actually did something, it felt like Frieren would look down on him.
Although, after Frieren grew up, he'd already received plenty of disdainful looks from her.
Thinking of that made him feel a little heavy-hearted. He unconsciously hugged Ariel tighter and murmured, "Girls really are the best..."
"What? You're still talking about that? Don't tell me you regret sleeping with Shiro?", Ariel asked in surprise, sounding faintly annoyed.
"What kind of person do you think I am? I was just remembering how adorable the kids I raised used to be... Then they grow up and start saying hurtful things. That's all."
"Is that so?", Ariel frowned slightly, unable to quite understand how he felt.
"Raising children isn't the same as raising spiders. Kids are all different."
"No, no. I don't need you teaching me about children. Even if all I have are spider children that are basically my clones, I've still met plenty of children before."
Ariel waved her hands helplessly.
"I'm just curious why the child you raised turned out like that. It's probably just adolescence. Most kids become a little troublesome when they grow up."
"I've wondered that too... but if it were only that, it'd be nice."
Later on, he'd learned that Frieren's situation was even more complicated than simple teenage rebellion. Compared to him, she herself was even more conflicted, especially about her lifespan.
[🎉 Shoutout to Mozart and Photobug for joining p@treon. Thank you very much.🤗]