Risk Level 7: Dorothy (20)
Early in the morning, listening to the washing machine hum, Nero and I lounged on the living room sofa. Our fingers were tightly intertwined, and she leaned comfortably against me, her body pressed close. We had just called in to extend our vacation by one more day. Though we had gotten up last night—the final day of our break—the warmth of each other’s bodies quickly pulled us back under. After staying up two nights straight, we ended up sleeping in even later together.
Now we had finally risen, finished cleaning up, and were resting. The washing machine wasn’t running the blankets; it was the bedroom curtains, still heavy with the scent of our passion. We had aired out the room first, then thrown away the sheets and blankets covered in bite marks and torn spots before laying out fresh ones. When Nero saw the bloodstains, she apologized profusely. Her face, on the verge of tears, had been unbearably cute, but it took quite a while to calm her down. Maybe that was why she kept shuffling after me, insisting on helping despite my protests, grumbling the whole time. It was oddly endearing.
“Nero… what are you doing over there?”
“…Marking.”
Even as she leaned against me, she refused to stay still, rubbing her body against mine again and again.
“I already showered… so I’m putting my scent back on you.”
“…I see.”
I had wondered if it was a signal for another round. After we finished cleaning and went to wash up together, we ended up doing it once more. While I was washing and kneading her pleasant body, there was no way I wouldn’t get hard. The real question was whether I could even finish properly… but with Nero’s devoted service and her gentle, rolling hips, I managed to come after all. Still, I had to stop there; pushing further felt like something far more dangerous might spill out.
Even so, I couldn’t help noticing my own stamina—and that… volume that refused to diminish no matter what. Two full days should have been well beyond my limits, yet somehow I had kept going while lost in Nero’s body. It definitely wasn’t normal. Maybe it had something to do with the mini Undine’s influence; my body had visibly improved lately.
“Master, mark here too.”
“…Don’t you already have plenty?”
“Right here, where it’ll show.”
Her body was already a canvas of vivid marks from how thoroughly I had lost myself in her, but she still asked for one more, right on the visible cleavage of her dress. Her intent was obvious even to me.
“Chuu, chuu… suck.”
Still, there was no reason to refuse when I could kiss and taste her freshly showered, fragrant skin.
“Nyaaah… And… they were all wearing rings, weren’t they?”
“Suck… ah, those.”
“I was relieved when I didn’t see one on your hand, though.”
“Ah, yeah… of course.”
So she had noticed that already. She was talking about the Improved Dog Collar Mk.3, made to block abilities. Founder had offered to make one for me too if the constant voices bothered me. It was true they were annoying, but lately I had been gaining too much from them to accept. If I had been wearing the same ring on my hand… well, it was just a hypothetical, but the thought of how thoroughly Nero would have sulked sent a small shiver down my spine.
“I want to wear a ring too.”
“A ring…?”
“A couple ring with you, Master.”
The topic had come up by chance, but I thought it was perfect timing. I hadn’t been slacking on preparations. It wasn’t made exclusively for Nero, but… this was another reason I had refused the Improved Dog Collar, and why Founder hadn’t shown her face these past two days.
“Is it no good..? Nya?”
She only tacked that on when she was really pleading. It didn’t seem like a habit, but whoever taught her, the sight of her meowing like that was extremely effective.
“I was planning to keep it a secret until it was ready… but I guess there’s no helping it now.”
“Hehe, what is it?”
“The ring should be ready soon, so can you wait a little longer?”
I decided not to tell her where I had left it commissioned, not when she looked that happy. Nero seemed to find Founder rather awkward to deal with.
“More importantly, Nero, are you staying in that form from now on?”
“Uung..?”
Her cat ears perked up cutely atop her head as she tilted it. I was referring to this… very desirable appearance that her unstable shapeshifting had settled into.
“Yeah. You said it was pretty.”
“…I see.”
“And this form uses less energy to maintain, plus it’s easier to seduce you with.”
Truly the most desirable reason and conclusion. From now on, every time I came home, I would see her like this… Happiness and excitement overflowed inside me. I draped an arm around her shoulder as she nuzzled against my chest, then placed my hand on her body without hesitation. Naturally, I slipped my hand inside her dress to cup her breast, let the hand stroking her waist slide down to squeeze her butt, or pushed through the side slit to caress her thigh… She only purred softly, showing her pleasure through every part of her body—ears, tail, and all.
It wasn’t foreplay. Just ordinary skinship. No matter where I touched, she had already given me permission to everything, and I could feel how overjoyed she was. She was simply relieved that I still wanted her.
“…I really am a lucky guy.”
At that moment, I truly believed I was the happiest man alive.
*
“Based on the results of the previous counseling session and after holding a meeting, the next counseling target will be…”
“…”
“Ung-ssi.”
“….”
Ah… was she calling me?
“…Ung-ssi?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. How far did you get?”
“You’ve been looking rather pale lately. Are you all right?”
The team leader was actually worried about me instead of making her usual mischievous remarks. It had been the perfect chance for one.
“Do I… really? Haha…”
“Go take a look in the mirror. I’m not saying it for no reason.”
And there was a very obvious reason for it.
“Ahaha…”
I had thought I was truly a lucky guy… so why did I suddenly doubt it now?
“There’s only one possible reason, but please make sure it doesn’t interfere with your work.”
“Cough, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Even if I had gained the stamina and virility to keep up with a female in heat for two full days… the moment I got home, Nero was waiting. On the commute, Scarlet followed as my escort. Even when I rode to work in Yerin’s car, Scarlet would sit in the back with me, forcibly strip me, suck me off violently with her mouth, and then pounce the moment I was hard. I wasn’t exactly a weak adult male, but I couldn’t possibly match Scarlet’s pure strength or technique when her abilities were restricted. So every single day… I was slowly withering away.
Of course, when it was happening, all the complicated thoughts and worries in my head melted away in pleasure… so this was a happy problem, right? I shouldn’t complain like some pathetic guy and get scolded. I should just endure it. Or maybe find some potent stamina supplement somewhere…
“You’re really all right, aren’t you?”
“…Of course.”
“Anyway, back to the topic… The next counseling target is the very first prisoner held here—the Alchemist girl.”
“The Alchemist… Now that you mention it, I haven’t been able to visit her lately.”
She was still suffering under the Stigma’s torment, a pitiful prisoner and Nero’s former master. For Nero’s sake, this decision was good news.
“This time we’ll be using the Improved Dog Collar just like last time. However, since she’s been under medication to dull the punishment’s pain for over half a year… her mental state will be extremely unstable.”
Because she had given half her soul to Nero, she had become someone who wouldn’t die unless Nero did too. She was the first prisoner I had captured and kept alive. To ease her suffering from the punishment, we had given her various drugs so she could at least sleep, but it was only a temporary measure we had no choice but to choose.
“…So this time we won’t be given a whole month.”
“Correct. Founder said the suggestion won’t last more than three days—seven at most.”
Using the Improved Dog Collar’s suggestion function to free her from the Stigma’s punishment was fine. But the moment we stopped the medication and put the collar on, we had no idea if the Alchemist would wake up immediately. If several days passed while she remained unconscious, we wouldn’t be able to rewrite the Stigma’s commands. For Nero’s sake, her counseling had to succeed.
Then…
“…There’s one thing I’d like to ask permission for on my end.”