The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 179

Zeraquiel grinned, gently pressing his lips against her palm.

“Your hair is as radiant as lilies of the valley kissed by the morning dew, stirring my heart with every glance. And your pink eyes captivate me like azaleas blooming in spring.”

He then pressed his lips to the back of her hand, looking up at Chelsia.

“I think that’s why. I couldn’t resist chasing after you, wanting to keep you by my side.”

“……”

“Actually, I wanted to have you all to myself.”

Before she realized it, their hands were clasped tightly, fingers interlocked. Even more captivating was the fiery red in his eyes.

Chelsia then realized that Zeraquiel had regained his memories from when he was Basilius.

A trick of the gods? Or a blessing?

Whatever it was, the Zeraquiel before her was her black lion, her mate.

And now, he desired her more passionately than ever.

“The past me made quite the confession. My face is burning up,” Chelsia mumbled, hiding her flushed cheeks. Zeraquiel responded to this.

“It was amazing.”

“……”

“Maybe that’s when I lost my mind.”

“No, Riki. You were like that even then… um.”

The moment Chelsia tried to retort, the lips that had been tickling her hand now greedily claimed her own.

The spot where their moist lips met flared with heat. He whispered, forehead to forehead.

“Tell me, Chee Chee.”

“……”

“Do you not like my red eyes anymore?”

A face seeking reassurance.

Seeing that, Chelsia burst into laughter, reminded of the mischievous black lion of the past.

“……Of course not.”

Chelsia wrapped her arms around Zeraquiel’s neck.

“Then and now, your eyes are still as flamboyant and beautiful as roses.”

“Then cherish them.”

Zeraquiel’s lips landed on Chelsia’s eyelids.

“Like you always have. Right now.”

Chelsia willingly agreed to the slightly urgent request.

Stories could wait until after enjoying the joy of reunion for a while.

* * *

No. Scratch that.

The joy of reunion I imagined wasn’t this… drawn out!

“Ugh.”

I frowned, massaging my stiff waist.

Zeraquiel didn’t give me a chance to speak, and wouldn’t let me go all day long.

For a full three days.

I was as stuck with Zeraquiel as I had been unconscious, unable to leave the bed.

The bed, heated so intensely, still seemed to retain the warmth.

Barely escaping his clutches, I reveled in freedom.

Stepping out onto the terrace, I was refreshed by the air outside the bedroom after so long.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to enjoy this respite, but again, the past nights floated back into my mind.

‘Where are you going?’

‘J-Just to get some air on the terrace….’

‘You can go later. We’re doing something very important right now.’

‘What’s so important… Ugh, wait, Riki! D-Don’t come! I, I can’t take any more….’

‘What are you talking about, Chee Chee? If this isn’t important, then what is?’

‘No, I, I don’t mean it’s not important… Isn’t it e-enough now?’

‘Not at all.’

‘…….’

‘It’s just beginning.’

My face flushed just thinking about it.

It seemed like I had a lewd spirit in my head.

In the end, I slapped my cheeks, trying to exorcise it.

“Get out!”

Of course, it was just hurting my cheeks.

No matter what I did, the things that happened with Zeraquiel over the past three days and nights wouldn’t leave my head. It must have been because I had been tormented for so long.

‘So soft.’

‘Ah, stop it!’

Zeraquiel’s “beginnings” were endless. Even when I asked him to let me go, he would only say that it hadn’t even started yet.

He even had food brought to the room, so there was almost no reason to leave the bedroom.

Feeding, washing, and then rolling around, rolling around, rolling around.

Having been half-exhausted in his grasp, I was finally able to escape his arms on the fourth day.

It was thanks to Ella’s dramatic rescue. Zeraquiel let me go when she threatened to break down the locked door.

Of course, I wasn’t in a state to go out right away. I would have to rest in the bedroom for the time being because of the marks all over my body.

Fortunately, the bedroom was very large, so I didn’t feel suffocated.

My legs were still wobbly, but I felt very lighthearted.

If Zeraquiel saw this, he would tell me not to walk and conserve my energy, and carry me around.

I was unconsciously pulling up the corners of my mouth when I suddenly heard a sound. I returned to the room and Ella was there.

“Gasp……”

She gasped as she looked at my condition. She clearly had a lot to say. Even Ella, who was usually oblivious, couldn’t possibly not know after seeing this sight.

“Long time no see, Ella.”

I twisted my body awkwardly, feeling embarrassed, and Ella said.

“Y-You seem to have had a very… amazing night.”

Ella would often say absurd things when she was flustered.

She was trying not to show that she was flustered, but it only made my face turn redder.

“Ugh, I’m embarrassed, so please skip that topic.”

“S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to……”

Ella slapped her lips with her hand and apologized.

Hey, the more you do that, the more embarrassed I get.

I quickly changed the subject.

“I heard from Zeraquiel that Hebel disappeared.”

Only then did Ella become serious.

“That’s right. The place where Hebel was has been burned black, and nothing grows there anymore.”

“I see.”

I felt complicated and strange at the fact that Hebel, which contained memories with the Divine Beast, had completely disappeared.

Of course, it couldn’t be said that his traces had completely disappeared. I still had the Guardian and the relic by my side. Everything else had disappeared, but these things remained.

The origins of the Lapis Lazuli of Oblivion and the Spinel of Illusion that Eben Seb had taken were unclear. They were probably somewhere on the continent.

Then Ella said.

“Did Chelsia know that the Null Opal would cause a frenzy [a state of uncontrolled excitement or wild behavior]?”

“I wonder.”

I smiled awkwardly.

In fact, I had been thinking about the frenzy ever since the Butterfly gang said they were looking for the flower.

The white flower of Zachari that bloomed in the secret garden looked roughly similar to the flower they were talking about.

Besides, that was the only special flower I knew.

So I had asked Zachari to guard the secret garden in case of a surprise attack.

But, contrary to expectations, the flower they were after and the Null Opal I was looking for were both with Zeraquiel.

It was natural not to know. No one knew that Larien had died and Basilius had made a deal with the Divine Beast.

I wouldn’t have understood why the frenzy was the Null Opal if Zeraquiel hadn’t told me.

‘You died, and I made a deal with the Divine Beast.’

My foolish black lion had threatened the Divine Beast to let him meet me again.

‘Why did you do that?’

‘For the same reason as you, I guess.’

I couldn’t say anything at that moment.

It was a ridiculous question. Just like I hadn’t hesitated when I tried to save him.

He had also risked his life without hesitation to meet me again.

Even knowing that he would suffer for that long.

“I didn’t know either. I had no idea that the Null Opal was with Zeraquiel.”

“But it’s a big problem. Now that the Null Opal has disappeared with Hebel, there’s no way to get rid of Chelsia’s pheromones……”

“Ah, don’t worry about that.”

I smiled brightly and handed Ella the pheromone fruit that I had carefully kept in the drawer.

Ella stared at the red pheromone fruit with a dumbfounded expression.

“This is……?”

She clearly had a look on her face that said, ‘Why is this here?’ I said kindly to Ella.

“Take it back. This was originally yours.”

It was time to return the pheromones I had to their original owner.