Not long after Eros closed his eyes, he felt a soft, delicate body press against his back. The moment they made contact, Eros knew exactly who it was. Though he had long suspected Joanie had feelings for him, he hadn't realized she could be this bold.
A flicker of surprise crossed his mind, but he quickly chose to lie flat, extending an arm toward Joanie’s side. Understanding his intent, Joanie leaned her body into the crook of his arm.
Just then, Eros felt someone poking his other arm. Turning his head, he met Syphreya’s resentful gaze as she lay beside Joanie. Eros gave an embarrassed smile, but then, Joanie’s long, curled eyelashes fluttered slightly. Noticing this, Eros’s expression instantly returned to normal.
In the next second, Joanie opened her beautiful eyes. Finding Eros staring directly at her, two crimson clouds rose onto her cheeks. Her body, nestled in his arm, trembled slightly with shyness. At this sight, as if possessed, Eros lowered his head and kissed the corner of Joanie’s lips.
Joanie’s pupils dilated, her mind falling into a daze. It took a long moment for her to snap out of it, and she timidly tilted her face up. Undine, meanwhile, remained blissfully unaware, sleeping soundly on Eros’s other side. Syphreya, however, continued to watch Eros with that same resentful gaze.
After a long time, their lips parted. Realizing what she had just done, Joanie’s face grew even hotter, her eyes filled with bashfulness. Eros lowered his head again, capturing her lips once more, and this time, Joanie responded quickly.
Just as Joanie was completely losing herself in the moment, a voice whispered very low in her ear:
"I saw that~"
It was Syphreya’s voice. Joanie’s body jolted violently, like a stray cat caught stealing food. She instinctively tried to pull away. But as she struggled, she heard Syphreya whisper again:
"You wouldn't want Undine to find out you were secretly snuggling with Eros while she was asleep, would you?"
Joanie froze. That’s right, she thought. If I struggle, Undine will wake up. How would I explain myself then?
Seeing that she had successfully bluffed Joanie, a flash of cunning crossed Syphreya’s eyes, and a triumphant smile played on her lips. She continued in a voice small enough to be a secret, yet clear enough for both Eros and Joanie to hear:
"Eros, you wouldn't want Undine to discover your relationship with Joanie either, would you?"
Joanie shuddered again. Eros blinked, vaguely sensing what Syphreya was up to, and cooperatively remained silent.
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Syphreya’s lips curved upward as she whispered enticingly, "If you don't want her to know, then you’d better listen to me. For instance, I want you to stay quiet and not resist right now."
With that, Syphreya raised herself slightly, leaned over Joanie, and proactively kissed the corner of Eros’s mouth.
Joanie watched this unfold, the faint fragrance from Syphreya’s neck filling her senses. She was utterly dumbfounded. After another long silence, their lips parted. Seeing Joanie’s dazed expression, Syphreya smirked.
"I’ve got leverage on you both now~ Even the noble Lord Eros has fallen into my hands."
Syphreya’s eyes curved with amusement. She looked at Joanie and said softly, "Now, you take the initiative and kiss Eros again. Otherwise, I’ll tell Undine right now that you two were behind her back..."
Joanie’s sluggish thoughts finally began to turn. Her face flushed as she stammered, "B-but... didn't you kiss him too?"
Syphreya replied with a beaming smile, "Exactly! But I’m not afraid of Undine knowing."
Joanie’s mouth hung open. Wait, you can do that?
"Hurry up! If I count to three and you haven't kissed him, I'm telling Undine~" Syphreya said unhurriedly, her eyes shimmering with mischief.
"One..." "Two..."
"Wait!" Seeing that Syphreya seemed serious, Joanie hurriedly relented and proactively offered her lips.
Syphreya’s smile deepened. Over the next hour, the three of them exchanged several more intimate moments. Throughout all of this, Undine continued to sleep soundly, occasionally smacking her lips.
Much later, as Joanie rested her head on Eros’s arm and reflected on what had just happened, a sudden doubt surfaced in her mind.
Wait... why was I so afraid of Undine finding out?
Undine was just Eros’s sister. If she knew, she knew. Joanie blinked as the realization hit her: she didn't need to care at all! In other words, Syphreya had successfully threatened her with something that didn't matter.
Joanie covered her face in her hands. She had been so flustered by the discovery that her brain had short-circuited on such a simple logic. Now what? Syphreya and Eros have kissed... and it was that kind of kiss.
The thought gave Joanie a headache. She didn't suspect a prior affair—after all, they had only been deskmates a few times at the Academy. At most, they were acquaintances. And Syphreya has a fiancé! Oh, right! She has a fiancé, which means she can't marry Eros. But I don't!
A small spark of pride rose in Joanie’s heart. Syphreya can only play around with Eros at most; she’s no threat. I'm the one who actually has a chance to marry him. She comforted herself with this thought over and over until she finally drifted into sleep.
Outside, the crimson moonlight shone down with cold indifference.
Suddenly, the mist ahead churned. Moments later, a massive tumor-like creature sprouted with countless legs and sprinted through the fog. Once it vanished, a thing resembling a human centipede with dozens of arms and legs crawled out of the mist, heading into the distance.
Silence returned to the fog, but a long while later, a dark shadow gradually became clear within the thick haze. The figure seemed to notice the vine hut ahead. It began to approach, limping on two uneven legs. As it walked, it emitted a series of eerie, cackling laughs—"Heh heh! Heh heh!"
It reached the side of the hut and pressed two iron-gray arms—covered in crawling maggots—against the vines. The creature pressed its entire body against the wall. It opened an eye the size of a fist, which contained five or six pupils, and pressed its face against the vines to peek inside.
As it watched, its cackling stopped, replaced by an unsettling silence. Suddenly, a grotesque grin split its face, stretching all the way to the back of its head.
Inside the hut, Eros had already opened his eyes the moment the monster approached.