Rihanel thought about withdrawing his assessment of Rois as clever and picked up his fork. At least the biggest consolation was that not all meals were shared with the Beiche family.

“Where are you planning to show us around more today?”

Rihanel asked somewhat indifferently.

Wherever they went, Janet wouldn’t pay him any attention, but he was still curious about the next course Janet would like.

“The white limestone cliffs.”

“Ah, that place we saw from afar yesterday. Isn’t it a bit dangerous for the brat to walk?”

According to Count Beiche, the walking path along the cliffs wasn’t very wide. Though Rois, that brat, wasn’t the type to make a fuss while walking, it still seemed dangerous to take a child there.

“Rather, the coniferous forest on the opposite side would be……”

“Today we’re taking a walk just the two of us, Rihanel.”

“Just the two of us?”

Rihanel’s eyes widened.

“Is that okay?”

Rihanel’s face brightened rapidly.

Then Janet felt a pang in one corner of her heart. She truly realized that yesterday she had neglected Rihanel because she was distracted by Gelas’s culture.

“How about going to the coniferous forest tomorrow? Just the two of us there too.”

“Hmm… if you’re okay with it… shall we?”

Rihanel answered while pretending to ponder and drawing out his words. However, he couldn’t hide his beaming expression.

The answer was already decided. Whatever wind had blown, he had no intention whatsoever of refusing when Janet suggested it.

***

“I think Rales must be a pathetic and timid guy.”

“Rihanel, what are you saying?”

To insult a god beloved by the people of Bellice. When Rihanel said something that would anger the people of Bellice if they heard it, Janet looked around in surprise.

Fortunately, they were the only ones walking on this cliff.

“Look at that. The sand is still white. Not blue. The last time they saw blue was five whole years ago, and if they love each other so much, how can they endure five years?”

“But Rihanel, you also tried never to see me for life.”

Janet shot a look at Rihanel.

At the unexpected attack, Rihanel was speechless. Come to think of it, there was someone more pathetic and timid than Rales right here.

“I don’t think Rales is timid. Same with Philoa. Bellice, the space of the two gods, is maintained so abundantly. That must mean their love is that great.”

“You’re right.”

“Similarly, Rihanel isn’t pathetic and timid either.”

At Janet’s words, Rihanel let out a chuckle. He newly realized he was beside a woman who saw him as a person who could do anything and ultimately made him become a good person.

“Right. I’m a wonderful guy. That’s why I met a wonderful woman like you.”

Rihanel deliberately made an exaggeratedly handsome expression.

Seeing that, Janet burst into laughter. Because he liked seeing her laugh, Rihanel laughed along.

“But the weather doesn’t look good.”

At Rihanel’s words, Janet looked up at the sky.

Indeed, dark clouds were spreading across the sky that had been clear just moments ago. Though it was still daytime, the surroundings began to darken as if evening had come.

Certainly Bellice was a place that boasted clear weather year-round, and there was no news of rain today either.

But that sky was indeed ominous as Rihanel said.

“It would be terrible if it rained. Shall we head back?”

Rihanel spoke while looking back at the path they had walked. Since they had come quite a long way, it seemed they would need to move busily from now to return before it rained.

“Ah, then before we go……”

Janet took out a pouch from inside her skirt.

She wanted to give Rihanel his gift before leaving this place.

However, at the same time, thick raindrops fell onto the back of her hand.

“Huh?”

Janet looked at Rihanel in surprise.

At that moment, heavy rain began pouring down on their heads.

“D*mn.”

Rihanel hurriedly pulled Janet toward him and lifted one side of his jacket to cover her.

Flash, light illuminated everywhere and then a loud thunder struck. Janet involuntarily flinched.

Rihanel looked around. Walking back through the narrow path in this rain would be too much. First, they needed a place to avoid the rain.

Then Rihanel’s eyes caught sight of a cave a little distance away.

“Let’s avoid the rain there for now, Janet. Walk carefully.”

Rihanel led Janet and hurried his steps. Fortunately, they were able to reach the cave without major problems.

As soon as they entered, Rihanel examined Janet’s face.

“Are you okay? Are you cold?”

Janet nodded.

Although she had become like a drowned rat, fortunately it wasn’t cold weather so it was bearable. Moreover, thanks to Rihanel covering her with his jacket, she hadn’t gotten extremely wet.

Rather, if they were to compare who got wetter, Rihanel was much worse off.

Janet reached out and touched his hair.

Noticing her worried gaze, Rihanel swept back his hair and looked outside.

“The rain should stop soon.”

“Since it’s sudden, won’t it stop quickly? It looks likely to be a shower.”

“What if you catch a cold in the meantime? I should look for materials to make a fire inside here.”

“Rihanel can just hold me warmly.”

Janet spread both arms. Rihanel lowered his gaze to her.

Unlike him who had been looking around the outside with the pouring rain and inside the cave, as always, she was staring intently at him.

“Hold me, Rihanel. The rain will stop soon.”

While Rihanel stared blankly at Janet, she hugged his body first.

When he felt Janet’s body touching him, he stiffened.

“Rihanel, are you nervous? Your heart is beating fast.”

“……I’m excited.”

When he answered using the words she had said on the ship during their trip, Janet smiled softly.

When he felt Janet’s movement in his arms, Rihanel felt his composure gradually disappearing.

“Janet.”

Rihanel lowered his gaze to Janet. D*mn it. The woman looking up at him with her wet face was insanely sensual.

Rihanel unconsciously lowered his head. Before they knew it, only about a finger’s width of space remained between their faces.

There were enough excuses.

“I think we need a bit more heat.”

“……I agree.”

As if they had been waiting, their lips overlapped.

It was a light contact, but when it became moist, it quickly turned thick. Rihanel supported the back of Janet’s head and sucked her lower lip.

When Janet wrapped her arms around Rihanel’s neck, he parted Janet’s lips as if he had been waiting.

His tongue roughly penetrated her mouth and wrapped around Janet’s tongue, pulling it. Her body slightly lost strength from the sticky contact. He embraced Janet’s waist to support her and relentlessly ravaged the inside of her mouth.

Janet let out a small m*an. Whenever she made such instinctive sounds, Rihanel would be caught in uncontrollable excitement.

Faithful to the purpose of needing heat, their entire bodies quickly heated up. The problem was that the place where heat gathered most in Rihanel’s body was none other than his lower center.

The fortunate thing was that this also had enough excuses.

“Your clothes are wet. If you keep wearing them, you might catch a cold.”

“Haa…… Then what should…… Mmh……!”

Janet let out a m*an without resistance. Because his hand that came down grabbed her br*ast over her clothes.

Her full br*ast was trapped within the wet fabric and his large hand. Janet gasped from excitement.

Rihanel didn’t stop there and began unbuttoning Janet’s blouse one by one.

“What are you doing right now?”

Janet looked up at Rihanel in shock.

She couldn’t believe what Rihanel was doing, even seeing it.

Although it was dark everywhere due to the dark clouds covering the sky, it was still broad daylight. Moreover, wasn’t this outside!

Even though it was pouring rain so heavily that you couldn’t see an inch ahead…… they were the only ones taking a walk here, and it was impossible for people to come here through this rain…… but still, this wasn’t a room but a cave……

In Janet’s mind, reason trying to maintain social order fought with instinct trying to find plausible excuses.

However, Rihanel, who rationally thought this made sense, grinned and kissed Janet’s nape. A whisper mixed with heat reached her ear.

“If we leave them aside for a moment, they’ll dry. Right?”

“But this is……”

Janet tried to stop Rihanel, but she could only m*an helplessly at his following actions.

His lips went past Janet’s white neck and moved further down. He quickly unbuttoned her blouse, lifted the front, and pulled down her undergarment.

“Rihanel……!”

This undergarment, worn considering the activity during travel, didn’t require much force to remove. Too smoothly and softly, the undergarment slid down.

Before Janet could cover her br*asts, Rihanel buried his face in her exposed white br*asts. Janet’s right peak was sucked into his mouth.

“Ah!”

The scream-like m*an disappeared, buried in the sound of roughly pouring rain.