Was my deduction wrong? Is there no fantasy setting logic here? Or is 'Mifuyu' actually just a name? Is it a cultural difference between demi-humans and humans?
Alistair began to doubt himself.
"Ms. Yukino is all alone now. She said her apartment lease is about to expire, so I thought I'd try to help. We actually get along quite well."
Seeing Alistair's confused expression, Liliana explained again.
"Get along well? Sounds like you've practically audited her family tree. If that's just 'getting along,' then nothing is," Alistair said, speechless. 'Getting along' was a massive understatement; she'd practically doxxed the woman's life story.
"Heh, really? We just talked casually. We just seemed to click, so we talked about everything."
Liliana's cheeks flushed slightly. She felt Alistair was exaggerating; she didn't think they'd overshared.
"Wait. 'Everything'? You didn't talk about me, did you?"
Alistair caught the keyword and stared at her. He wasn't worried about his secrets—he rarely shared them, and anything 'Extraordinary' was never mentioned. What he cared about was whether this girl had shared what the two of them did during their 'exercise' sessions.
Actually, she wasn't exactly 'little.' Liliana was about the same height as Alistair, maybe even a bit taller. Compared to other women, she was somewhat oversized. Her figure wasn't lean or slender, but rather the voluptuous, fleshy type. She was very 'thick' in the right places, making her look quite imposing.
Honestly, Alistair suspected Liliana might have some demi-human blood herself. For a pure-blooded human to have that height, tanned skin, and such a bountiful figure while maintaining an Asian facial structure was a rarity—a literal one-in-a-million occurrence.
If that were the case, it would explain why she felt a kinship with a Yuki-onna. Such a connection was likely in an environment full of pure-blooded humans; in the Demi-Human District, she might not have stood out as much.
Digressing. Back to the point. Given Liliana's personality, it was hard to believe she hadn't spilled some details about Alistair.
"Only a little bit. I don't know that much about you anyway," Liliana answered guiltily.
"It's the fact that you don't know much that worries me. I don't care if you mention me, but you didn't talk about our sessions together, did you?"
Alistair looked at her with a subtle gaze that made her want to sink into the floor.
"Just... a little bit. We just exchanged some experiences. It was only once! Really, just once," Liliana emphasized, hoping to shift his focus.
"It's fine, as long as you aren't broadcasting it everywhere. Since you were 'exchanging experiences,' you must have heard about her sessions, too? Let's hear it."
Alistair took a sip of his iced drink, looking at Liliana with renewed interest. While it was a bit embarrassing to have his performance shared, that was it. He reckoned Ms. Yukino wouldn't go spreading it around either. Now, his curiosity was entirely focused on the Snow Woman's sexual history.
"Well... Ms. Yukino's experience isn't actually that extensive. Her husband frequently worked overtime, so their time together was mostly spent sleeping. She said that only during holidays could they have a brief moment of intimacy. Perhaps because of the constant exhaustion, her husband's performance was... very disappointing. But considering how much he sacrificed for the family, she didn't really demand much."
Liliana recalled their conversation. There was actually quite a lot of R18 content discussed, but she found it hard to say it directly to Alistair's face, so she chose her words carefully.
"She didn't demand much? Is her libido low? Or is it because they are 'cold' by nature, making them 'frigid' in that department as well?"
Alistair asked curiously. This was an inference based on Liliana's words, but in reality, based on his emotional perception from earlier, he had seen a sea of 'Desire'.
That level had startled even Alistair, leading him to think she was a Succubus. But a Succubus wouldn't have that 'aura'—that 'icy' feeling was innate, not something that could be mimicked. That was why he'd largely dismissed his doubts about her being a Yuki-onna.
So, if she could act so 'coldly,' why was there such a massive amount of 'Desire' within her?
"Actually, a Yuki-onna's needs are much larger than a human's. Perhaps because of their 'cold' nature, they have a greater passion and need for 'exercises' that can warm the body. However, they have a special technique: they can use their innate 'cold' to 'freeze' their cravings. That way, it doesn't interfere with their daily life," Liliana explained.
This was a fascinating trait, so Liliana remembered it well. During their chat, she had learned many other strange and interesting things.
"'Freeze' them? You mean she can literally use ice to put her libido on ice? Wait, can you even freeze a feeling or a concept like that? That's absurd."
Alistair thought it sounded like nonsense. Needs aren't tangible things; they are intrinsic to sentient beings—like 'Lust' or 'Emotion.' They can be viewed as near-conceptual things attached to specific types of energy, which is why they can be 'absorbed.' The 'Desire' Alistair absorbed was just a byproduct of craving, not the craving itself.
According to Liliana, a Yuki-onna could 'freeze' her own needs to achieve a state of calm. That was wild—it was like freezing a part of one's self... Actually, that might be possible. Given the 'Legendary' category of her demi-human status, she might truly possess some reality-bending traits.
However, 'freezing' didn't mean eliminating; it was more like 'suppression.' And needs grow exponentially. If a portion isn't cleared out, it just keeps building until it breaks the limit, turning the person into a slave to lust.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. In that case, Ms. Yukino's limit must be incredibly high. To be this calm at that level was impressive. But now that she had reached her limit, how much longer could the ice hold before being melted by the fire of desire?
Alistair swirled his glass, watching the ice cubes slowly dissolve. A faint smile touched his lips.