Chapter 113: An Evening with Snow

The doors of the estate opened, as Snow Valestorm stepped into the interior, her arms completely laden with woven baskets.

Her trip to the central thoroughfare of the Azure Scale village had been a resounding success. Just as Leon had promised, the mere mention of his name to Elder Vaelen had caused the village merchants to trip over themselves to provide her with their finest goods.

She carried a massive haul of crisp, golden-hued Sun Apples, a heavy sack of finely milled flour, thick blocks of sweet cream butter, and jars of sap that served as a rich, natural sweetener in the valley.

Setting the baskets down on the smooth counter of the estate’s open-air kitchen area, Snow let out a contented exhale, rolling her shoulders, ready to get to work. Back on Nexus, her grandmother had taught her to bake long before the system had abducted humanity, and she intended to put those skills to the ultimate test.

She moved with grace, her black leather boots tapping a steady rhythm against the polished floor. She rapidly peeled and cored the Sun Apples, her hands a blur of practiced motion. She diced the fruit, tossing them into a heavy iron skillet with a generous slab of butter and the sap. As the heat hit the pan, the kitchen was instantly filled with an intoxicating, rich aroma of caramelized sugar and warm, spiced apples.

Snow smiled to herself, effortlessly kneading the flour and cold butter into a perfectly flaky dough. She was a five-time national karate champion back on Nexus, a heavy-weapon specialist who swung a buster sword the size of a door, and yet, standing here in a tranquil valley baking a pie for her husband felt like the greatest victory she had claimed all day.

After arranging the lattice crust over the bubbling, caramelized filling, she slid the pie into the estate’s stone hearth oven to bake.

As the mouth-watering scent began to permeate the entire two-story house, Snow leaned against the counter and looked down at herself. She was still wearing her combat gear. Her heavy white fur coat was slightly dusted with pulverized rock from the canyon, her black crop top was clinging to her skin, and her silver cross-chain garters clinked loudly against her leather shorts with every step.

It was a great look for intimidating rival players and crushing monster skulls, but it didn’t exactly fit the domestic, loving wife aesthetic she wanted to present for their first real evening together in their new home.

"Not exactly serving-pie attire," Snow murmured to herself, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

She opened her system interface with a swift wave of her hand, navigating away from her combat stats to the inventory tab. Players occasionally purchased vanity items—clothing that offered zero stat bonuses but allowed for aesthetic customization. Snow had bought a few pieces that had caught her eye over the past few days, never finding a reason to wear them until now.

Snow tapped her inventory and quickly equipped a dress, initiating the instantaneous system wardrobe change. Her heavy fur coat, tactical shorts, and clinking chains dissolved into glowing motes of white light. In their place, the new fabric materialized seamlessly over her curves.

She looked down, smoothing her hands over her stomach, and walked over to a tall, polished mirror resting in the corner of the room.

She was now wearing a body-hugging short skirt dress. It was forged from sleek, midnight-black silk that clung to her athletic frame like a second skin, providing a stark, breathtaking contrast to her cascading, snow-white hair and pale, flawless complexion.

The dress was strapless, exposing her smooth, delicate collarbones and the elegant slope of her shoulders. The neckline dipped daringly low, perfectly framing the generous swell of her chest, while the fabric cinched tightly around her narrow waist before flaring out just enough to wrap around the plush curve of her hips.

The hemline was scandalously short, stopping mid-thigh, putting her long, toned legs on full display. She had traded her heavy combat boots for a pair of simple, strappy black heels that forced her calves to flex with every step.

Snow stared at her reflection, feeling a sudden, intense rush of heat flood her cheeks. The confident, boisterous weapon forger was suddenly struck by a wave of unexpected vulnerability. She bit her lower lip, a deep crimson blush spreading across her face.

Am I doing too much? she thought, her hands nervously smoothing down the silk clinging to her thighs. It left absolutely nothing to the imagination. It was a dress designed for one very specific purpose.

She took a deep breath, staring into her own striking, crystalline blue eyes in the mirror. She shook her head, banishing the hesitation.

I’m his wife, he’s meant to be seeing me like this!

She gathered her confidence after some contemplation, pulling her shoulders back and allowing her natural, fiery swagger to return. The pie in the oven was done. She pulled the golden, bubbling dessert from the hearth, placed it carefully on a carved wooden serving tray with a pair of forks, and moved upstairs.

Upstairs, the atmosphere was a picture of absolute tranquility. Leon Wes was resting on the large, comfortable bed in the center of the spacious master room.

His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and rhythmic. But as the soft footsteps approached the door, his senses picked up on something far more immediate.

He immediately began to smell the food. It was a rich, intoxicating wave of warm butter, baked pastry, and sweet, caramelized Sun Apples that drifted under the door and filled the bedroom.

Leon opened his icy blue and golden eyes, a look of genuine, profound surprise crossing his sharp features.

Incredible! Leon thought, shifting to prop himself up against the wooden headboard. Not only is she pretty, she can also cook! I hit a jackpot in my first wife already, is this lucky fate in action?

He chuckled at the thought of it. In a brutal, unforgiving world like Eternal Heaven, the concept of domestic bliss was meant to be non-existent. Yet here he was, a Steadfast-tier player resting in a safe zone, waiting for his gorgeous wife to bring him freshly baked dessert.

The bamboo door slowly slid open.

Snow enters and Leon couldn’t stop looking.

Where did she get that dress from... Leon’s mind momentarily flatlined, entirely derailed by the sight before him. Not important now.

She was sexy and beautiful, a vision of absolute temptation stepping out of the warm hallway light and into the bedroom. The midnight-black silk of the body-hugging short skirt dress seemed painted onto her skin, leaving absolutely zero ambiguity about the hourglass perfection of her figure. The dark fabric contrasted violently with the pristine, cascading waves of her white hair, drawing his gaze directly to the deep plunge of the neckline and the generous, heaving cleavage it barely contained.

Every time she shifted her weight to step forward, the impossibly short hemline rode up a fraction of an inch higher on her smooth, athletic thighs, teasing the very limits of decency. The strappy black heels she wore elongated her legs, forcing an intoxicating sway into her hips as she walked toward the bed, balancing the wooden tray in her hands.

Her cheeks were flushed a deep, adorable shade of pink, and she was biting her lower lip nervously, a stark contrast to the wildly confident woman who had cleaved a monster in half just an hour prior.

Leon’s breath caught slightly in his chest. As his eyes were focused on the flawless curve of her waist and the undeniable, heavy tension filling the room.

He felt a sudden, intense surge of heat pool low in his stomach. His thoughts raced, immediately connecting the dots between her nervous blushing, the scandalously tight silk dress, and the way she was looking at him through her pale lashes.

Wait does she want me to.. to fuck her? Leon thought, his heart rate accelerating against his ribs. The realization settled over him with a sudden, absolute clarity. He looked at the blush staining her cheeks, the submissive tilt of her chin, and the way the dress hugged her hips.

Very well then, Leon decided, his golden and icy blue eyes darkening with an intense, predatory warmth. She’s my wife after all, and if not me, no one else will do it!

Snow reached the edge of the bed, carefully setting the wooden tray and the steaming, perfectly baked apple pie on the bedside table. She didn’t step back. She remained standing right beside him, her hands nervously smoothing down the front of the black silk, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Whatever you were planning to accomplish by wearing that dress," Leon said, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than it probably should have, "just know that it worked."

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Far better than you probably intended."