Although he had whimsically taken what originally belonged to her, he spoke as if he were doing Livia a great favor.

Most gods behaved this way. They used their power as an excuse to manipulate humans at will, much like a child innocently blocking an ant’s path with a large stone, without any sense of guilt.

Even if it was unfair, there was nothing a tiny ant could do against a human. At most, it might hide in a pant leg and bite a toe.

…But humans often forgot that being bitten by an ant could sting quite a bit.

Livia, who had been panting, suddenly lifted her head. Then, with all her might, she pressed her lips against Triton’s unguarded mouth.

The first thing she did was bite his unsuspecting lips as hard as she could. She gave it her all, but she couldn’t cause any harm. Instead, Triton curled the corners of his lips, seemingly amused by her attempt.

It was a kiss that couldn’t truly be called a kiss. It was merely a series of poking, prying, and chasing, focused solely on that pursuit.

Yet, their tangled breaths grew rougher, and her body kept heating up uncontrollably. On top of that, there was the sensation of his organ pressing as if it would pierce her stomach…

The more breathless she became, the dizzier her head felt. To escape this strange and elusive sensation, she needed to snatch that pearl quickly. Livia clung even more to Triton’s lips. Each time their wet mucous membranes collided and parted, a slick, suggestive sound echoed.

Pearl, pearl…

No matter how much she pressed her lips and scraped her tongue, she couldn’t feel the pearl. A frustrated, groaning sound escaped from Livia’s mouth. At that moment, the hand that had been restraining her loosened. Livia eagerly pulled Triton’s shoulders closer. Her eyes, which had been defiantly raised, grew hazy as her breathing quickened.

Why can’t I reach it, why…

Desperate, Livia urgently pulled Triton’s tongue into her mouth. Triton, as if waiting for this, swirled inside her.

“Ha… Uh…!”

In an instant, the tables turned.

His tongue was moist, moderately cool, and unbelievably soft as it dominated Livia’s tongue. Their tongues roamed each other’s territories. In that moment, finding the pearl no longer mattered.

She was sucked in to the root, nibbled thoroughly. The tingling pain and the slick friction of the mucous membrane made her dizzy. He embraced her tightly, supporting her swaying back.

“If you keep thrusting your tongue like that, it only excites me more, Livia,” Triton quietly remarked, licking her panting lips.

“Do you want your voice back that badly?”

Livia glared at him with reddened eyes, her trembling lips moving silently.

‘Give it back.’

Between her swollen lips, her red tongue flicked enticingly. Triton found it quite alluring. The urge to bite that soft, sweet tongue until it bled surged within him.

How could it be so sweet? If he were to bite that tongue and taste blood, even that would surely be sweet. No, it would be sweet. Without a doubt, it would be sweet.

Triton licked his lips with his tongue. The thought of devouring this small, stubborn woman made his mouth dry and his insides tighten.

His er*ction swelled painfully.

He held Livia tightly, leaving no space between them, and thrust his hips upward. The woman, startled by the sudden assault, let out a gasp, but he paid no mind. His thick, hard er*ction rubbed messily beneath her thin clothes.

“Ha, ugh…! Hup!”

How did Echidna find this? How did you end up with someone like Echidna? He didn’t like that it had passed through Echidna’s hands before reaching him. He was annoyed at his own foolishness for not discovering it first.

Livia, who had been letting out rough, surprised breaths, squirmed her hips and twisted her waist. Her plump b*ttocks thudded against his inner thighs.

Even that was enough to make Triton’s body tremble with pleasure. How exhilarating would it be to truly devour her?

Triton moaned languidly and grasped Livia’s b*ttocks, spreading them apart.

Her small underwear was pushed aside, revealing her wet v*lva. Triton’s clothing was also pushed aside by her squirming b*ttocks. Then, his barely restrained er*ction sprang up and jabbed at Livia’s entrance.

“……!”

Livia’s eyes flew open. Beyond her shocked pupils, there was astonishment and fear. Trembling, she tensed her thighs and lifted her hips to create some distance. But this only caused her entrance to press against his er*ect member. If he thrust his hips just a little, he could penetrate her.

Realizing her mistake too late, Livia tensed her thighs even more. She didn’t know that her entrance, twitching against his tip, was driving Triton mad. Triton stroked her trembling, plump thighs, which were straining with effort.

Fear, to fear something like this.

He chuckled at the absurdity of the situation but refrained from forcing himself in, knowing it might provoke her into biting her own tongue.

Gently, he pulled Livia onto his lap, allowing her to settle softly over his manhood. Feeling her soft skin against him tempted him to thrust inside her, but he exercised considerable patience and held back.

Instead, he gently grasped Livia’s chin, parted her lips, and softly slid his tongue inside.

He explored her mouth, which was as rigid as stone, probing deeply with his tongue. Startled, she dug her nails into Triton’s shoulders, scratching at his unyielding skin as she endured the unfamiliar sensation.

How admirable.

As if praising her, he kneaded Livia’s b*ttocks while gently rubbing his shaft against her parted folds and cl*toris. Despite her attempts to resist, heated breaths began to escape from her lips. It was endearing how her body responded to the pleasure he provided, even as she remained cautious.

Her mind might have been determined to resist, but her body was quite receptive, relaxing with each wave of sensation. He wanted to push in fully, but forcing it might break her spirit.

In that case…

While sucking on Livia’s tongue, Triton suddenly placed a small pearl on top of it.

The small, trembling movements of her body stopped abruptly. Her once-dazed eyes regained focus. Her green eyes, shifting in intensity, looked at him in surprise.

With a playful smile, he slowly pulled back and whispered as he licked her parted lower lip.

“No need to thank me, Livia.”

If he couldn’t devour her, he would make her offer herself willingly. With gentle coaxing, he would lead her to come to him on her own.

A small storm brewed in Triton’s gleaming eyes as he gazed at Livia.

***

The pearl settled deep in her throat. Even without speaking, she knew her voice had returned. The places the pearl touched felt as if they were on fire.

What exactly was a ‘trial’?

Livia lay on the cool bed like a stone, pressing her hot neck as she pondered.

Challenges, obstacles, crises…

Those words came to mind. She could confidently say that she was still going through a trial.

“If you want to fully regain your voice, it’s best not to leave this bed until you fall asleep.”

Though she couldn’t see him, she felt the heavy presence of a man behind her. Without turning her head, Livia cautiously shifted her eyes.

There was no sound or movement, but her back tingled. The excessive silence seemed to heighten her senses to an extreme.

…It was torture. Truly torturous.

Livia bit the inside of her lip, suppressing her erratic breathing. Her tongue, swollen from being bitten and sucked, awkwardly moved around in her mouth.

‘This is… strange.’