Chapter 458: Water and Heat

――This is… dangerous.

"Well then, let me wash your back…"

It was a soft, comfortable voice that almost melted my ears.

The sweet scent of the girl.

Layla's slender, smooth fingers.

Those fingers crawling along my back, along my arms, with utmost effort.

Layla had a slightly embarrassed, blushing expression on her face… this was really not good.

She had a towel wrapped around her body, but because it was wet and stuck to her skin, it rather accentuated the lines of her body and added to her sex appeal.

Layla had the biggest breasts in our family, but her waist was slim and defined, and her buttocks and thighs had just the right amount of flesh for a man's liking.

To put it bluntly, she was erotic. The thighs were the best.

Lefi, Nell, and Lyuu were also very well styled with no extra fat, no doubt, but in terms of femininity, Layla honestly had the most striking features.

The current situation of having my body washed by such a beautiful girl was really dangerous.

By the way, Lefi was not here.

Just before we entered the bath, she suddenly said, "Oh, by the way, I have something I have to do! You guys go in first," and we parted ways.

I was sure Lefi was just trying to be considerate, but later I would definitely play with her tail until she got teary-eyed.

"…I haven't even soaked in the hot water yet, and I'm already feeling a little overheated."

"Fufu, me too! …your back is very big and nice looking…"

Layla's fingers caressed my back, and I couldn't help but let out a squeal.

"Hii? Ah, hey, that tickles."

"Yuki-san, you have a really nice physique. It's muscular, but not too bulky… Lefi is the same. I wonder if all the extra energy in your bodies is converted into magic power. Considering the amount of magic power the two of you have, it wouldn't be surprising if you have such a high magic power conversion efficiency…"

"Ah, Layla-san?"

"People with high magical power often have a good appearance, but this could be because all the extra nutrition is converted into magical power, so their metabolism is incomparably better than others… Lefi also eats so much and doesn't exercise that much, but her body shape hasn't changed at all."

"Well, Layla is still Layla. I guess…"

Layla's face gradually took on the appearance of a researcher.

Surprisingly, this girl talked to herself a lot at times like this.

It may be that the thoughts she had were moving at high speed, and she was shaping them by verbalizing them.

"!! I beg your pardon! I shouldn't have done that, it's my bad habit of getting side tracked…"

"It's okay, I like Layla-san like that."

"Really? If you say so, then, I won't stop myself from continuing to think about a lot of stuff…"

"Well, do whatever you want. Though, if things go overboard, we'll be there to stop you."

After washing our bodies for the time being, we plunged into the bathtub side by side.

Our bodies were lined up, shoulder to shoulder.

"Fuuh… I always find this waterfall hot spring really great, and I can only be thankful for the great luck of the Hero Nell."

"Yeah, this bath was made possible thanks to her…"

And with that, Layla stretched her arms toward me.

To my abs.

"Uhh, oh, hey, what, suddenly."

"Nell did mention to me before, 'Onii-san's abs are amazing to touch', and checking it personally, I concluded that she is right! This does have a good feel!"

With a bewitching smile, Layla started touching my abs, rubbing them under the hot water, enjoying my reaction.

"Wait, wait, ahihi."

"You told me that I can live the way I want to, right? So I'm going to touch Yuki's body as much as I want."

"You're being obscene, aren't you? Besides, are you okay with this? In our house, the one who touches is doomed to be touched, you know?"

"I don't care. I can no longer belong to any man but you, anyway."

Layla replied in a tone that sounded like it was nothing.

…were you trying to kill me?

"…Oh, really? Then, I'll feel free to touch you!"

I reached for Layla's horns.

I stroked the horns, intertwining my fingers with them, as if I'm combing her hair.

"Mmm…"

I heard a lustrous voice, but ignored it.

Hard, but soft at the same time, thick sheep horns.

Strangely enough, even the same horns felt completely different to Lefi's.

Well, this was good stuff.

"Yuki, you really like organs that humans don't have, don't you?"

"But you also like touching my wings and abs, no? It's mutual."

"I have abs, as well, you know."

Layla giggled and rested her head in my hand with a pleasant expression on her face.

I closed my eyes and let her do whatever she wanted to do.

Her beautiful white hair hung on my arm.

I knew that everyone at my house paid attention to beauty and stuff. Layla's hair was also as I had expected, beautiful and smooth.

As I touched her like that for a while, Layla murmured, "…It's a strange feeling…"

"Yes?"

"You are with me like this. Touching me in this way. Just that alone fills my heart."

She then fixed her posture and leaned her body towards mine and rested her head on my shoulder.

Her face looked very relieved with no trace of nervousness on it.

"Skin to skin contact. The feel of another's heartbeat. The material elements that make up the both of us were not that different, but the personal difference between me, and you make me feel at ease. After analyzing myself, I understand that this feeling can only be obtained with you."

I listened to her monologue as I slowly stroked her head.

Usually, Layla never tried to speak about herself too much.

She wouldn't even let me hear her own thoughts.

"Perhaps my spirit has been altered into an irreversible form that will never return. A puzzle-like form that can never be completed individually. So…"

Layla stopped speaking.

I could feel the warmth of her body through the skin that touched me.

Silence.

The sound of water dripping.

Two people's breaths.

A heartbeat.

"Yuki-san."

"Ah."

And then, Layla's lips were facing my ear.

Lightly, sweetly, slowly, as if trying to shake my brain.

She whispered.

–I adore you.