Angel of Eden 25
The receptionist at Angels’ Haven flashed her professional smile, then glanced at the card Maria held out. “Ah, a VIP guest. Right this way, please.”
The moment the words “VIP guest” left her lips, every woman nearby turned to stare. Their gazes landed on us like needles. Whoa, having this many people notice me at once is kind of nerve-wracking.
Unlike my fluttering nerves, Maria seemed genuinely pleased. I get a little shaky when people stare, but you’re fine?
They’re looks of envy and admiration. Feeling superior to others feels good.
Is that how it works?
Maria’s perspective was hard to grasp, but I supposed that was just how a queen thought. Following the receptionist’s guidance, we rode the elevator to the top floor. The space was nothing like the bright lobby below; the lighting was dimmer, the furnishings luxurious and antique, creating an old-world atmosphere.
Huh. The entrance was so nice, but this…
I like the mood here.
It feels a little stiff to me.
When we have our own nest, let’s decorate it like this.
Nest?
Ah, I suppose I should say “our own house.”
Maria and I clearly had very different tastes. While we bickered internally about future décor, we followed the attendant’s instructions and changed into the provided garments—thin, barely-there fabric that left almost nothing to the imagination. Once inside the Esthe room, we found a capsule-shaped device that looked eerily familiar.
Hey, isn’t this similar to the body-modification pod in the lab?
Seems like it. Is this how they do the Esthe?
While we were examining the machine, an attendant wheeled in a tray loaded with various containers. “We’ll begin the first course of your selected VIP service. Please remove all clothing and lie inside.”
So that’s how it worked. Not knowing exactly what we were in for made me a little anxious. Maria, on the other hand, stripped without hesitation and climbed in. The capsule lid descended and sealed shut.
“Beginning full-body permanent hair removal, skin-rejuvenation treatment, and wrinkle-reduction procedures as specified in the option package.”
So that was the option. Those guys really wanted Stella senior permanently hairless, huh? Inside the machine, mechanical arms emerged and began applying an unknown liquid across the entire body—including the face. The texture was unpleasant, but Maria remained perfectly still.
Doesn’t this feel weird?
Not really.
Is it okay to just go through with all this?
Isn’t this the kind of Esthe humans get to become more attractive females? It must be good if it’s this expensive.
I’ve heard angels receive these treatments often to increase their market value.
The repeated application of different liquids grew tedious. Lying still was more boring than I’d expected.
Maria, I’m bored.
Just endure it a little longer.
When will this be over?
Why are you getting more childish by the minute? If you’re that bored, play with the eggs.
Oh, right. That works.
Following Maria’s suggestion, I shifted my consciousness to the ovaries. The move felt smoother now that I was used to it. The eggs still floated gently inside. Using the fine tentacle manipulation I’d learned last time, I gathered and sorted them by grade. Hmm, not many high-grade ones left. Can’t I make more?
Maria, can’t we produce more eggs?
Why?
There aren’t many high-grade ones, so I wanted to make more.
We already have plenty. Egg production is limited; we have to use them sparingly.
I see.
I’d thought we could keep making them, but apparently not. In that case, I’d have to create better combinations with what we had. I was still fiddling with them when Maria spoke again.
They’re about to start the massage. What do you want to do?
I want the massage too.
Ever since hearing that Xenuma soldier talk about it, I’d wanted to experience a massage. This place was high-end, so it should be even better, right?
When I returned my consciousness to the body, two masseuses were already working on each arm. Oh—one of them is a man. Is that okay?
I don’t mind. What about you, Elisha?
Hmm…
They were staff here, so they probably massaged other clients too. It should be fine. Besides, the gentle rubbing felt incredibly refreshing. The slippery liquid on the skin prevented any uncomfortable friction.
Wow, that feels amazing.
Yeah, it’s nice.
After finishing the arms, one masseuse moved to the face while the other worked on the upper body. The female masseuse covering the face with a thin cloth pressed firmly yet gently, while the male masseuse applied more slippery liquid to the torso and began kneading. When his hands pressed along the neck, Maria reacted.
Ah—sensation reached the main body.
Your main body is in the neck, right?
Yeah… ugh. Being pressed like that is a little scary.
So there are things even Maria finds scary.
Fortunately, the neck massage ended quickly. The hands moved down to the clavicle and began working around the breasts—slightly painful, yet strangely pleasurable.
Hmm. Apparently people with large breasts accumulate fatigue in the surrounding areas.
Huh? Maria, are you looking at the internet?
Yeah.
I can’t see it.
I separated it because it seemed to bother you.
You can do that too?
The implant displays processed information visually, but I blocked it from appearing in your visual field.
I don’t really understand, but Maria is seriously amazing.
Watching Maria handle things I could never manage so effortlessly made me think, once again, that she really was something else.
I can’t modify the implant itself, but I should be able to manipulate the information flowing through it. I discovered it while adjusting your brain.
Adjusting the brain?
Regulating hormone secretion, inducing sleep—everything is done by manipulating the brain.
It feels like I’ve become a puppet.
While we talked, the hands that had been massaging around the breasts began kneading the breasts themselves—stroking upward from below, squeezing with both hands. The stimulation made the nipples stand erect. The fingers gently rubbed and loosened the hardened peaks. Is this really part of a normal massage?
Once the upper body and face were finished, both masseuses moved to the waist and lower body together. Massaging the sides tickled a little. When the male masseuse focused pressure on the lower abdomen, Maria finally spoke up.
“Could you be a little gentler, please?”
“Of course. My apologies.”
The pressure on her lower abdomen eased. Maria, why did you say that?
The uterus is wrapped in roots. If they press too hard, it shows. I have to be careful.
Ah, got it.
The massage concluded safely with the back, legs, and feet. My whole body felt wonderfully refreshed. Now I understood what that soldier had meant. After applying aromatic oil to soothe the skin, the Esthe session ended.
Maria returned to the changing room and examined her body in the mirror. Every trace of fine hair was gone; her skin was so smooth the pores were invisible, gleaming with a soft luster. Whoa, Esthe is incredible. Her skin reflected light like polished marble. Even her silver hair shone with renewed gloss. She put the latex suit back on and dressed in the clothes we’d arrived in—or rather, the clothes Maria preferred: a white lace-trimmed blouse, a corset that cinched the waist even smaller, a matching skirt, belt, and jacket. None of it matched my taste for simple clothing.
How did you make the latex suit white?
You didn’t read the manual properly, did you? It’s one of the functions.
Maria skillfully gathered her long hair and pinned it up. She took cosmetics from her handbag and applied makeup, then smiled in satisfaction.
Your face is so fair now—makeup looks great on it. No wonder it’s expensive.
Yeah. Maria, you’re really beautiful.
Unlike me, who still felt awkward with makeup, Maria looked elegantly feminine and stunning.
Elisha never learned how to dress up. Such a waste, having a body this good.
I didn’t even have proper memories back then.
The knowledge of how to do this was already in your memories. Emma taught you.
Oh, right. Emma unni had taught me those things. So that’s where it came from. After the Esthe, Maria attended a yoga class, then a guitar lesson, and even completed barista training before finally returning to the shelter. Maria lives a much fuller life than I do.
Why learn so many things?
I can’t feel satisfied unless I do what I want. There are so many things I want to try.
I don’t have any hobbies besides exercise, and I don’t do much unless Master orders it.
So you were just watching TV or browsing the internet to pass the time?
It’s the best way to kill time!
You really enjoy watching things—whether it’s your own body or not.
Maybe?
Now that she mentioned it, watching Maria move the body did feel like watching a live movie. The overlap with the city walls had probably intensified that feeling.
Hearing you say that, I suppose it does.
I enjoy doing what I want, and you enjoy watching it. We’re a good match.
Yeah. We really do suit each other.
Back at the shelter, Maria prepared for her bartender shift. While she moved the body, I handled the facial expressions. Our division of labor proved remarkably effective; customer satisfaction rose steadily.
“Elisha, did something happen? You’re getting prettier every day.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
The guest I was currently serving was Asad, who had become a regular. Asad was a foreigner from Ryuzan who ran the Sun God Temple in Eden—an unusual case, since Ryuzan followed a monotheistic religion. His sharp features and dark hair gave him a striking, handsome appearance. He looked at me with a greasy, lingering gaze.
“I don’t mean your previous look was bad, but it feels like watching a girl who just started wearing makeup grow into a mature, sophisticated woman.”
Maria’s adorned appearance certainly radiated mature beauty. Her movements were graceful too. Still, hearing a customer point out such a stark difference left me feeling a little defeated. Maria really was superior to me in every way.
“If you weren’t an angel, I’d want to make you my wife.”
“Don’t you already have two wives in Ryuzan?”
“I have no wife here in Eden, so I’m lonely every night. And consorting with heathen prostitutes would violate the law.”
“Why not bring your wives to Eden?”
Asad let out a deep sigh. “They have to raise the children. Eden doesn’t allow young children inside.”
“So you have children.”
As he said, there were no children in Eden—except for tourists. Eden-born children were raised communally in special districts, and foreigners’ children weren’t permitted to live here.
“Headquarters wants me to stay another year, but honestly, aside from the Ryuzan workers already here, no one comes. Edenites only believe in their own god, and the rest of the nations have no interest in religion.”
“Isn’t that why you were dispatched here—because you get along well with heathens?”
Ryuzan people tended to be fanatical, harboring strong hostility toward those who didn’t share their faith. Conversely, they banded tightly together with fellow believers. The recent Abaddon incident had been controversial because Ryuzan Sun God worshippers were demanding survival rights. Public opinion was divided on whether Abaddon hosts who believed in the Sun God should be accepted, delaying any purge. I’d heard that an entire orc tribe had converted and now lived on the outskirts of Ryuzan—apparently the Sun God faith was so inclusive that even monsters were welcomed if they converted.
“Well, I see heathens as potential converts to the Sun God faith. What about you, Elisha? Would you like to convert?”
“I already have someone I believe in.”
“What a shame. If angels became Sun God worshippers, their popularity would explode.”
Asad downed cocktail after cocktail, repeatedly lamenting his loneliness. Why did he keep saying he was lonely?
You idiot, Elisha. He’s hinting that he wants you to do something about it.
Do what?
What do men usually ask angels for? Sex. Sex.
But I’m on the virgin concept—I can’t do penetration. Besides, Asad said he can’t sleep with heathen prostitutes.
We’re not prostitutes. Sleeping with guests at the shelter is just consensual sex between two people who like each other.
Ah, so he’s a heathen but not a prostitute, so it doesn’t violate the law?
Now I understood Asad’s behavior. What should I do? He was a regular and we were somewhat close. Maybe I could at least help relieve his sexual frustration in a simple way?
But how do I bring it up?
Just say it.
How can I? It’s embarrassing.
You’ve done plenty of embarrassing things until now—why can’t you do this?
I don’t know… I guess I’m used to receiving.
Haah, I’ll do it.
The moment Maria spoke, she took full control of the face. She exchanged a few cryptic words with Asad, and before I knew it we were already in a bedroom together. Everything had moved so fast—what just happened?
“Whoa, so I’m Elisha’s first after-service partner? What an honor.”
“Please consider it an honor. Would you like to shower first?”
“No point wasting time—let’s shower together.”
Asad tossed his clothes aside and headed straight for the bathroom. Maria undressed at a leisurely pace.
Maria, I thought you didn’t like dealing with guests?
Being overly friendly is annoying. This much is fine. I’m only going to give him a handjob anyway.
What’s a handjob?
You’re an angel and you don’t know? It means a hand job.
Ohhh, so that’s what “handjob” means.
New vocabulary learned. How did Maria know all this stuff? While I pondered where she acquired her knowledge, Maria entered the bathroom and approached Asad, who was already washing.
“You came? Wow, your body really is amazing. Come here—I’ll wash you.”
“Oh my, that’s all right.”
“I like washing women.”
Asad carefully washed Maria’s body with practiced hands, clearly enjoying the task. He ran his palms over her abs and remarked, “Your skin is incredible. So smooth, and your abs are nicely defined. With a body like this, why don’t you do prostitution?”
“I don’t like selling my body for money.”
“That’s an unusual reason for an angel. Still, you do look quite lewd for someone who says that.”
He alternated his gaze between her pierced nipples, lower abdomen, and clitoris. With the piercings and tattoos—and especially that particular area—it was undeniably lewd. His fingers gently stimulated her nipples and clitoris, gradually heightening her arousal. Ah, this guy is skilled. He touched her just enough to border on pain while delivering consistent pleasure. Maria began letting out soft moans, clearly getting excited.