Chapter 80: Master’s little dog...

Morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, casting a pale golden streak across the wooden floor. Meira was still asleep, lying on her side in the middle of the large bed. Her golden hair lay slightly tousled across the pillow, while the thin blanket curled around her waist, leaving one fair shoulder exposed. The multicolored necklace still rested neatly around her neck. Erik had removed the chain the night before, and it now lay on the small bedside cabinet.

In her sleep, Meira frowned faintly. Her arms unconsciously wrapped around the pillow against her chest, and she rubbed her face against it as if searching for something familiar.

"Master..."

Her whisper sounded softly through the quiet room. After a while, the corners of her lips curved upward, and her cheeks gradually flushed as more indistinct words escaped her mouth.

"The little dog is being good... Don’t stop..."

Meira hugged the pillow tighter.

"Master..."

Aside from the gentle breeze passing over the window frame, the only sound left in the room was her sleep-muddled voice. No one knew how long passed before Meira slowly opened her eyes. The morning light made her squint slightly, and with her mind still hazy, she instinctively reached toward the space beside her.

Empty.

The smile on her lips immediately vanished.

Meira opened her eyes fully and looked toward the other side of the bed. Not only was no one there, even the sheets had gone cold. In an instant, that familiar sense of emptiness unexpectedly seized her heart, making her nearly bolt upright.

"Erik?"

No one answered.

Meira looked around the room. Her gaze eventually stopped on the necklace reflected in the mirror opposite her. She froze for a moment, and then the memories of the previous night quickly returned: the hill, the wooden house, the Five-Colored Elemental Crystal, the ring Erik had prepared, both of their proposals, and the words that had nearly made her cry until she could no longer breathe.

I love you too.

Meira raised a hand to touch the necklace. Her fingertips gently traced the five-colored crystal at its center, and the smile slowly returned to her lips.

"It wasn’t a dream..."

Her voice trembled faintly. Meira looked at the empty side of the bed for another few seconds, then laughed at herself. She had panicked first thing in the morning merely because Erik was no longer lying beside her.

Had this happened several years ago, even she might not have believed that she would one day become like this. An Elemental Lord with Legendary aptitude, a woman who had once stood at the pinnacle of an entire race—yet now, simply waking to find that the man she loved was not beside her made her heart ache as though someone were crushing it.

But Meira did not feel embarrassed.

On the contrary, she loved this feeling. It proved that she truly had someone to miss, someone she wanted to see first whenever she opened her eyes.

Meira climbed out of bed, casually slipped on a thin nightgown, and walked outside. The wooden house remained very quiet. There were no servants passing through the halls, no guards stationed outside, and no hospital staff respectfully addressing her as Lady Meira. There was only the steady sound of a knife striking a cutting board downstairs.

Meira stopped as soon as she reached the staircase.

A faint aroma drifted up from the kitchen, instantly making her eyes brighten. She practically ran downstairs, and the moment she reached the kitchen doorway, she saw Erik standing with his back to her.

An apron was tied around his waist, and his sleeves were rolled to his elbows. He held a skillet in one hand while cutting several kinds of vegetables into small pieces with the other.

It was an extraordinarily ordinary sight.

Yet Meira stood there watching him for a long time.

For some reason, her nose suddenly stung.

This was what she had always wanted. Not castles, power, or banquets attended by hundreds of servants, but a small house on an ordinary morning, with the person she loved standing in the kitchen—and the freedom to walk over and embrace him without having to consider how much distance she ought to maintain.

Meira smiled, then charged straight toward him.

Erik knew who it was the moment he heard the footsteps, but his body still lurched slightly forward when a soft figure suddenly collided with his back. Meira’s arms immediately wrapped around his waist, and she happily pressed her face against his shoulder.

"Master..."

Erik lowered his gaze toward the hands locked across his stomach.

"You’re awake?"

"Mm." Meira rubbed her cheek against his back, her voice soft and languid. "The little dog is awake."

"I can see that."

"The little dog missed Master."

Erik calmly continued stirring the food in the skillet with his spatula.

"I’ve been out of the room for less than an hour."

"That’s a very long time."

He did not answer, but Meira tightened her embrace and added with complete seriousness:

"A very, very long time."

Meira was tall, with a fuller figure than most women. Even when standing beside Erik, she did not appear small. Yet at that moment, she tried to curl herself against his back, her face resting on his shoulder and her voice as soft as that of a young girl acting spoiled.

Erik stepped to the left to retrieve some seasoning. Meira continued hugging his waist and shuffled after him. When he moved to the right, she followed without the slightest intention of letting go.

After this happened several times, Erik finally spoke.

"Meira, I’m cooking."

"The little dog knows."

"I can’t move while you’re holding me like this."

Meira silently considered the problem for several seconds before seriously proposing a solution.

"Then Master shouldn’t move."

Erik turned his head to look at her.

Meira immediately raised her face, her curved green eyes filled with innocence.

"The little dog only wants to hold you for a little while."

"How long is ’a little while’ to you?"

"All day."

"That isn’t called a little while."

"It is to the little dog."

Erik watched her for several seconds before finally giving up on arguing. He allowed Meira to continue clinging to his back. The instant she realized that he had no intention of pushing her away, she happily rubbed her head against his shoulder several more times. She even lightly inhaled his scent, resembling a small animal trying to memorize its master’s smell.

"Master smells nice."

"I haven’t showered."

"You still smell nice."

"You’re truly beyond saving."

"I don’t need to be saved." Meira smiled happily, tightening her arms around him. "The little dog likes being this way."

At that moment—

Clang!

The sound of metal hitting the floor made Erik close his eyes. He had already guessed what had happened before he even turned around.

Meira reacted a little more slowly. She kept both arms around Erik’s waist and merely turned her face toward the doorway. Then her smile instantly stiffened.

Elowen was standing there.

A spoon lay at her feet. Her silver hair was still slightly tousled from sleep, and she wore only a simple dress. Her emerald eyes moved from her mother’s arms tightly wrapped around Erik’s waist to the multicolored necklace around Meira’s neck, then returned to the expression of utter enjoyment on her face.

The kitchen fell silent for several seconds.

"Mother."

Meira blinked.

"Hmm?"

"Erik is cooking."

"I know."

"Then how is he supposed to cook while you’re holding him like that?"

Meira looked down at her arms as though only now realizing the problem. But instead of letting go, she hugged Erik even tighter.

"He can still cook."

Elowen fell silent.

Erik sighed.

"I already told her."

Elowen entered the kitchen, bent down to pick up the spoon, and placed it on the table. Only then did she turn back toward her mother.

"Mother, what is this ’little dog’?"

Meira immediately became serious.

"Me."

Elowen thought she had misheard.

"What?"

"I am Master’s little dog."

Elowen raised a hand to her forehead and attempted to organize her thoughts before reminding her mother of each point in turn.

"You used to be the Elemental Lord."

"Only outside."

"You are a Legendary Succubus."

"Mm."

"Two days ago, you filled the entire sky with an elemental phenomenon, and you also own a hospital and several major shopping centers."

"That’s right."

Elowen pointed toward the arms still wrapped around Erik’s waist.

"Then what is this?"

Meira glanced at Erik before happily rubbing her head against his shoulder.

"At home, I’m the little dog."

Elowen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her expression resembled that of a mother desperately trying to remain patient with her rebellious child.

Standing between the two of them, Erik suddenly felt that everyone’s ages in this kitchen had been completely reversed.

A moment later, Meira abruptly looked at Elowen. Her eyes blinked, then quickly lit up as though she had just thought of something interesting.

"Elowen."

Elowen immediately became wary.

"What?"

"Mother just thought of something."

"I don’t like that expression."

"Come with me."

"No."

"Come."

"I said—"

Meira released Erik, seized Elowen’s wrist with one hand, and dragged her straight out of the kitchen.

"Mother!"

"It’ll only take a few minutes."

"Don’t you dare—"

Her protests quickly disappeared up the stairs.

Erik stood in front of the stove and watched them leave for a moment before turning back to the skillet.

He decided not to concern himself with whatever the mother and daughter were planning.

At least the food would not cause trouble for him on its own.