She had wrestled with her feelings, but after careful consideration, she realized that love wasn't so easily extinguished.
Badr had never lied to her. Ultimately, she was the one who had fallen for him. Who was she to blame?
Mai's acceptance left Nodoka at a loss for words. She turned to Badr, asking, "Did you drug Mai? Or use some kind of magic...?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I'd never use those things on someone close to me," Badr denied calmly.
The ability to alter common sense was incredibly dangerous in the human world, even capable of impacting human civilization as a whole.
However, neither angels nor devils, not even Fallen Angels who had succumbed to their desires, would abuse such power.
Only Stray individuals would recklessly use common sense alteration for malicious purposes, indulging in their desires and corrupting their souls until their very appearance became twisted and grotesque.
Nodoka realized her mistake. She had witnessed the power of common sense alteration herself, and Badr had indeed never misused it. Otherwise, the human world would be in chaos...
Badr understood what Nodoka was thinking. He had once been human himself, and he knew human values well.
He smiled gently, reaching out to embrace Mai from behind.
"Perhaps it's difficult for humans to understand, but devils place immense importance on the purity of emotions. I love Mai and want to reciprocate her feelings. I'll do everything in my power for her."
Mai's expression softened. "I never intended to restrain you with my own expectations. And I believe our love can withstand the test of time."
"...Oh, come on, that's enough. You two are disgusting," Nodoka said, a hint of envy in her voice. Her heart was in turmoil, her feelings unclear.
She felt both gratitude and affection for Badr. Until now, she had maintained a certain distance, believing his tenderness was solely for Mai. Any feelings she had were merely wishful thinking.
But after hearing Badr's words, her heart fluttered unexpectedly.
If that was the case... could she too experience his thoughtful tenderness?
Together... with Mai?
Nodoka's face flushed as these thoughts swirled in her mind.
What am I thinking...?
...
Realizing her inappropriate thoughts, Nodoka was startled. She quickly tried to distract herself.
However, the idea lingered in her mind.
She sighed inwardly. Badr had truly opened Pandora's Box within her heart...
To say she had no feelings for Badr would be a lie. She had suppressed them with reason, constantly reminding herself that he was Mai's lover.
But since Badr himself had said that devils had harems, perhaps she had a chance too?
Who wouldn't be attracted to a kind, powerful, and exceptional man? In fact, anyone who wouldn't be attracted to someone Mai loved must be strange.
Nodoka applied the "Mai Sakurajima Law" once again...
As her forbidden thoughts intensified, Nodoka feared she would give herself away. She quickly excused herself.
"It's getting late. I should go home."
"Let's go. I'll walk you," Badr offered.
"Mm..."
After escorting Nodoka to her doorstep and watching from a distance as her mother welcomed her inside, Mai finally relaxed.
"Let's go home," she said, a trace of fatigue in her voice. It had been a long day.
Seeing this, Badr bent down, scooped Mai into his arms, and held her bridal style.
"You've worked hard today. Get some rest."
With that, he took flight, carrying Mai.
Mai rested her head against Badr's chest, her arm draped over his shoulder, her body completely relaxed.
The wind whipped through the air, but Badr had created a protective barrier of magic. The fierce gusts transformed into a gentle, warm breeze that caressed them.
A faint smile touched Mai's lips, an expression of pure bliss. Leaning against Badr, her body and mind relaxed, she quickly drifted off to sleep.
She was asleep even before they reached home.
It seemed she was truly exhausted.
Mai always approached her work and studies with dedication, shouldering immense pressure without complaint.
Being with Badr allowed her to finally let go of her worries and enjoy a moment of peace.
No matter what happened, she knew Badr would take care of everything.
Soon, Badr arrived home, carrying Mai.
Seeing her sleep so peacefully, he didn't want to disturb her sweet dreams. Reluctant to let her go, he sat down on the sofa, still holding her close.
Even doing nothing, just holding her like this felt perfect.
Maintaining the position that seemed most comfortable for her, he controlled his magic to open the curtains, watching as the night deepened and the stars twinkled in the serene sky.
About two hours later, at ten o'clock, Mai's long eyelashes fluttered, and she woke up.
In just two hours, she felt much more refreshed, though her body was slightly stiff from sleeping so deeply. She felt languid and reluctant to move.
Seeing Badr sitting on the sofa, holding her while staring at the stars as if lost in thought, she felt a pang of guilt.
"Sorry, I fell asleep. Why didn't you wake me?"
"You looked so peaceful. I couldn't bring myself to disturb you," Badr said, smiling as he kissed her lips.
Mai's heart fluttered at his kiss. She couldn't resist leaning in to return it.
"We wasted two precious hours," after the passionate kiss. she said
"Hmm, I don't think any time spent with Mai is wasted."
"Two hours of potential date time is wasted for me. I really wanted to go on a date with you," Mai confessed, shyly admitting her desire to spend time with him. Her blush made her look even more adorable.
Badr chuckled softly. "Mai, I love you."
"I know," Mai replied casually, in her usual tone, as if he had just stated the most ordinary fact.
...
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...
However, the slight aversion in her eyes betrayed her shyness.
Badr, rarely expressing his true feelings, naturally wouldn't let it go. With a slight upward curve of his lips, he pretended to mutter to himself, "Hmm, if I could, I'd love to hear Mai say that to me too."
"It feels super embarrassing, so let's forget it."
"Eh? What's embarrassing about it? There's no one else here."
"Well, even if I don't say it, Badr understands, right?"
"..."
Badr was speechless.
Crafty Mai, she was digging a pit for him.
If he said he understood, he would be playing into her hands, and he wouldn't hear her say the words he wanted to hear.
But could he say he didn't understand...?
That was a death sentence.
A girlfriend's schemes ran deep...
Mai Sakurajima wore a mischievous expression, clearly pleased with herself for teasing Badr.
"That's mean."
"But someone just loves it, so I can't help it." Mai's prank was successful, a playful smile gracing her features.
Badr chuckled. He truly adored Mai.
Unable to resist, he pulled her into his arms and pressed her against the sofa, kissing her lips again. His kisses trailed down her cheek, reaching the sensitive skin behind her ear.
Mai blushed crimson, her arms instinctively wrapping around Badr's back.
Badr smiled inwardly.
Gotcha.
He gently kissed Mai's ear, feeling her embrace tighten around him.
Mai was always so sensitive in moments like these...
It wasn't until Badr started moving towards her neck that Mai seemed to snap out of it, protesting, "I haven't showered yet..."
"You smell amazing."
"Don't be silly. I've been dancing all afternoon. I'm covered in sweat."
Mai insisted on taking a shower.
Badr pursed his lips, then tightened his grip on her slender waist and lifted her into his arms.
"Let's go, then. Shower time."
"Eh? N-no, wait..."
"You've been tired all day, so let your husband take care of you."
Badr said this without a change in expression, carrying Mai towards the bathroom.
Inside the bathroom, after some rustling sounds, Badr gently scrubbed Mai's back with a shower puff, covering her in soft, fragrant foam.
Mai gathered her dark hair in front of her, her back facing Badr, her expression incredibly shy.
"Such a beautiful back. It's a shame not to give it a cupping therapy session."
Badr's teasing made Mai speechless.
"Just scrub my back properly. Don't think about anything weird, and no funny business..."
"Alright, a gentleman uses his words, not his hands," Badr chuckled, muttering as if to himself, "Tasting wouldn't be bad either."
Mai Sakurajima: "...??"
...
After enjoying their shared bath, Badr and Mai returned to the bedroom.
However, Mai went into the walk-in closet and closed the door.
Badr wondered what she was doing in the closet so close to bedtime, but he didn't dwell on it. He sat on the bed, picked up a notebook, and glanced through it.
It was Mai's memo pad, mostly filled with her upcoming schedule.
Aside from her regular schoolwork, she had an upcoming audition for a big-budget movie.
If she got the part, she would enter a busy filming period, leaving her with little free time.
A movie, even with a small role, would probably take up a lot of time. He probably wouldn't see her much during the summer vacation...
Thinking of summer vacation, Badr remembered that Rias had mentioned taking him to the Underworld during that time.
Counting his past life, Badr had never been abroad. The thought of going to the Underworld intrigued him...
But with everyone so busy, he probably wouldn't see much of Mai during the summer.
He pursed his lips, putting the notebook back in its place, a sense of melancholy washing over him.
There was no need to be sentimental. It was only two months apart. Devils had long lifespans. There would be plenty of time in the future...
As he was thinking this, the closet door opened, revealing Mai, who had changed her clothes.
Badr's gaze fell upon her, his eyebrows raising as he stared.
"Mai, what's this?"
"Didn't I promise you a reward?"
Mai replied calmly.
Badr remembered. Mai had indeed promised to wear stockings as a reward after they resolved Futaba Hisako's special ability.
However, he hadn't expected not just stockings, but a full bunny girl outfit...
On her feet were a pair of glossy black high heels with red soles. The heels accentuated her height, making her long legs look even more stunning.
Sheer black stockings, subtly revealing the color of her skin, clung tightly to her legs. Above that, matching black, glossy arm warmers completed the look. The tight-fitting bunny girl outfit emphasized her slender yet curvaceous figure.
Her breasts, though not large, still pushed against the fabric enticingly.
Atop her flowing black hair sat a pair of tall bunny ears.
Mai was already 165 cm tall. With the added 10 cm from the heels and the distinctive design of the bunny girl outfit, her legs looked incredibly long and captivating, drawing his gaze irresistibly.
"Your eyes are glued to me."
Mai walked over to Badr, bending down and waving a hand in front of his face.
There was amusement in her voice. His mesmerized expression seemed to please her.
Badr quickly snapped out of it, chuckling after a brief pause.
"This outfit is amazing. Why haven't I seen you wear it before?"
"I mentioned it before, didn't I? Before I met you, I wore this outfit as an experiment. I thought that if it was this eye-catching, anyone who could see me would react."
Mai sat beside Badr, crossing her long, stocking-clad legs. The red-soled heels swung gently.
"And the result?"
"A complete failure." Mai closed her eyes, sighing. "Back then, no one could see me except you."
"That's wonderful. I was the only one." Badr grinned, a hint of pride in his voice.
Mai shot him a playful glare, her expression calm.
"Silly. If you like it, I can wear it for you more often."
Badr recalled their first encounter. "If you had been wearing this when we first met, I think I would have remembered it vividly."
"But we ended up meeting in a much worse way," Mai pouted. "Anyway, I certainly remember our first meeting vividly."
Badr smiled, pulling Mai closer. She leaned comfortably against him.
He wrapped his arm around her bare shoulder, her skin from her neck and collarbone to her chest gleaming white against the black fabric of her outfit. It was incredibly alluring.
"I love this reward."
Badr's smile was unrestrained.
Mai said, "I'll probably be very busy for a while, so consider this a little compensation."
Badr adopted a serious expression.
"I'll think of you a hundred times a day, Mai."
"Focus on your own things. Thinking of me once a day is enough."
Mai remained unfazed, completely composed.
Badr stroked her stocking-clad thigh, sighing. "I was planning on just once, but after this, it'll definitely be many more times."
He looked intently at Mai. "So you did this on purpose, didn't you? You clearly want me to keep thinking about you."
"I thought my usual self was enough to achieve that, but after some consideration, I realized I needed to give you a little more to remember me by."
There was a hint of mischief and pride in Mai's voice.
She had practically admitted to her little scheme.
Badr chuckled softly.
"You're so cute, Mai."
"I've known that since I was eight," Mai retorted, referencing her debut age. She was indeed a remarkably successful child star.
Badr grinned, pouncing on Mai playfully.
"You asked for it."
Mai blushed, knowing what was coming, but still pretended to be calm.
"What are you doing?"
"Didn't I say? Thinking of you a hundred times."
"...Don't. Once is enough..."
Mai's face flushed crimson. If they followed Badr's suggestion, they wouldn't get any sleep tonight...
Badr wasn't going to agree. He simply hummed.
"It would be a shame to tear such beautiful stockings..."
"Don't waste them. They were expensive."
Badr grinned.
"But it would be a disservice to this outfit if I didn't."
"..."
With a soft rip, Badr charged into enemy territory, his cavalry thundering across the battlefield, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
And Mai, playing her zither and flute, accompanied his conquest with soft melodies, like whispers and sighs, a celestial music that momentarily cleared the mind...
