"I am jealous." Zoey pouted at him as soon as she entered the room, and he could only laugh at her antics.
"You received a Zaverian Horse, she didn't." He reminded her, and she embarrassedly lowered her head.
"I just want a Flying Mount as well."
"Everyone wants one." He chuckled and then pulled her onto his lap, wrapped his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on her neck.
He smiled as her body quivered to the touch of his lips, and then his eyes met hers.
"How was the flight?"
"It was amazing!" She eagerly told him how Ayesha let everyone take a ride on Blue, and the Lightning Hawk did live up to its name, having showcased its speed to the fullest, the wind whipping through her hair as they soared. "Horses are boring."
"Is that so?" He playfully nibbled her neck, sending her into fits of ticklish laughter.
"I won't give you my horse!"
She knew what he was going to say next, and made herself very clear.
"But you find them boring." He pushed her down on the bed and climbed over her, pinning her under his weight.
"I was kidding." She bit her lip in anticipation, and unbeknownst to her, she looked ravishingly seductive whenever she did it.
"Do you like this dress?" He asked, and before she could even answer, he ripped it apart.
"Mean!" She complained but then laughed again when he buried his face in her neck, planting kisses there, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down her spine.
Her hands eagerly reached for his shirt, and she was kind enough to unbutton it and not shred it to return the favour.
Within seconds, their naked bodies were entangled, and when he pushed inside of her, a gratifying moan escaped her throat, which she muffled by pulling him into a heated kiss.
She had even lost count of how many times they had made love, but their passion had not waned at all.
In truth, she had grown more and more eager, and their nights had grown longer and longer.
A mind-numbing orgasm jolted through her body, one that seemed so familiar but remained as cruel as ever.
Zoey wanted nothing more than to be squeezed by him tightly in his arms, but the cruel him kept thrusting inside of her, sending her crashing into waves of pleasure that sapped away all her strength.
And when she finally felt the warmth of his essence rush into her womb, tears of relief, happiness, and contentment leaked out of her eyes.
Finally, he squeezed her tightly in his embrace, and she hugged him back, focusing on recovering her strength to not keep him waiting for long.
She knew he wanted more, needed more, and she was always willing to cater to his needs to the best of her ability.
"More..." She whispered when her heart calmed down a little, and she smiled when he eagerly moved inside her again, taking her on a familiar race to another orgasm.
Eager as she was, Zoey was but a mere Ashaya and she could never keep up with his appetite.
A few hours later, she was utterly tired, and both her body and mind needed a good rest.
Keith gently planted a kiss on her head and then asked the System to start using one of the two drops of Blood he had gotten from Aerion and his sister with a Fourth Tier Blood in his heart, and a few seconds later, both of them were surrounded in a transparent Barrier.
Without the System's help, it would have taken the process a few days to complete, but it was only going to take 18 hours for her to wake up as someone Divine.
He stayed in bed until the morning, and then slowly got up to freshen up for the day.
Leaving a beautiful dress on the bed for her, compensation for tearing apart her dress last night, he proceeded to clean up the mess before exiting the cabin.
"Zoey?" Amelia curiously asked when he joined them for breakfast.
"She will be sleeping in for a few more hours. Do not disturb her," he informed them, and sure enough, the likes of Celine and Kiara were not going to give up the opportunity to pull his leg.
Not that it would ever work.
"Why are you always so cruel, Keith? If one is not enough, you can take two to the bed at the same time." The grey-eyed lady leaned over to whisper in his ear, and Kiara, who had heard her words very clearly, laughed out loud.
Qingyue, on the other hand, was burning in a furious blush.
"Mama!" She admonished her mother, who stuck out her tongue at her and then giggled to herself before silently eating her meal.
"Brother, when are we leaving?" Reina excitedly asked towards the end of the meal, and both Amira and Helena perked up their ears, eagerly looking at him.
"We will leave after lunch." He smiled at them when they high-fived each other, and then laughed when he found Celine pouting at him.
"You are welcome to join us."
"I accept the invitation." She sweetly said, and the twins eagerly engaged her in a conversation about what they wanted to do today, their voices filled with enthusiasm over the aroma of fresh breakfast pastries.
At the end of the meal, to everyone's curiosity, Keith asked Viola to come with him.
But soon some of them understood what he was going to do.
The maid who had raised him since he was a baby silently followed him into her cabin, and then nervously looked at him when he sat down on the wooden chair and conjured up another one for her to take.
"Sit."
She did as asked, and then met his smiling eyes.
"You have been feeling down lately."
As soon as she heard his words, she panicked a little and immediately lowered her head.
"It's just the new world, Master."
"Is it?" He gently asked. "Do you want to stay by my side forever, Viola? Or do you want to have a family of your own?"
She blushed a little at his words and then shook her head.
"You are my family, Master. I am happy, and I don't think I would be happy if I am not with you."
"You never know."
"No. I don't want a family of my own." She clearly said to him. "Lady Venessa had once asked me the same question. You were only three years old at that time, Master. And my answer is still the same. I want to serve her, serve you, serve Lady Amelia, and the Demiliore Family."
"Then why have you been feeling low?" He asked again, and she turned silent. "Why Viola? Are you now going to hide things from me?" He chuckled. "Should I ask Milo to attack you again?"
Recalling his antics as a child, Viola could not help her giggles and shook her head.
"I don't mean to hide it. I just don't want to sound ungrateful." She said and finally mustered up the courage to look at him. "I am weak, and my ability is limited. I know if I want to stay by your side, I need to grow stronger. And it terrifies me to think that I would one day become a burden. After all, I am not as talented as the rest." She depressedly lowered her head again, and her last sentence was but a whisper.
"You will be leaving for Archon Imperos with Amelia in a few weeks." He suddenly said, and she grew more depressed.
"Lady Amelia said that you will be helping me improve my talent so that I can enter the Academy with her."
"And? Do you not believe her?"
"I do!" She immediately answered, fearing that he would misunderstand her. "It's just that I feel unwell with the idea."
"Why?"
Viola stayed silent and then looked into his eyes again.
"Master, will you be spending a very precious treasure to help me?" She inquired, and seeing him nod, she furrowed her brows and lowered her head. "Am I worthy?"
Keith laughed at her words and then stood up to walk over to her. He placed his hand on her head, just like she used to do to him when he was a little boy, and patted her head.
"Your Master wants you by his side, and you are asking if you are worthy?" He gently said. "You used to be very smart, Viola."
She blushed at his words, feeling embarrassed, but unbeknownst to her, all the worries in her heart eased.
"If I didn't want you by my side, I would have left you on Gaia." He told her, and she nodded to him.
"I understand, Master."
"Good." He smiled. "Now get up and lie on the bed. I will help you."
"Yes." She obediently followed his command and got into her bed, and then nervously looked at him when he approached her and leaned over her face.
Viola blushed when she felt him plant a kiss on her forehead, just like he used to do when he was a kid, and she heard him wish her sweet dreams before everything went dark.
Keith watched her get surrounded by a Barrier, which prevented her changes from falling into anyone's senses and then stayed in the room for a good hour to inspect the process.
Amelia was waiting outside the cabin, sitting on the stairs, and he smiled before taking a seat by her side.
"Have you ever considered the possibility that she might be in love with you?"
"Oh, she has always been in love with me in different forms." He chuckled. "And I know she has started to desire me but is very self-conscious and critical of herself."
"Well, you can't blame her for that. You can make anyone feel self-conscious of themselves."
"I know I am perfect." He grinned at her and chuckled when she rolled her eyes. "Do you feel self-conscious because of me?"
"I don't." She smiled at him and then flashed the Sacred Rune of Marriage that was on the back of her hand.
"Good." He appreciatively said and then leaned in to capture her lips. "I love you."
"I know." She grinned against his lips, throwing his usual smug reply right back at him, and soon regretted it when he pulled her into a deeper kiss, giving a show to Kiara, who quickly used her OmniWatch to record the scene, the sunlight casting a golden hue over the moment.