After uttering these words, the king exited the room, leaving only Leona and me alone. She was seated beside me with her head lowered. Occasionally, she would ask if I needed anything, but overall, we weren't communicating much. I must say the situation was somewhat awkward.

"Are you sure you want me to be your partner?"

I inquired. Leona's ear twitched slightly before her gaze fell upon me. I didn't look away and continued to stare because this was an important matter for both of us.

"It has to be you"

Was the only response that came from Leona. Her gaze, as she watched me, showed determination. Smiling, I opened my arms while letting out a sigh.

"Since it's like that, welcome to the family"

Although it may sound ironic to say this, it was probably the most appropriate term to use at this moment. Observing this, Leona glanced around like a cautious kitten and slowly walked toward my embrace. As Leona nestled into my arms, I ran my hand through her hair.

Meanwhile, Leona was making a purring sound quite similar to a cat's, rather than a tiger's. Leona looked like a cat, a cute and needy little kitten. Probably, Leona hadn't realized what she was doing, as it didn't seem intentional. Also, I had no intention of interrupting this moment by saying unnecessary things.

But there was something I really wanted to do. I couldn't help but notice Leona's tail and ears. Anyone who saw this would surely want to touch them, even if only for a few seconds. Of course, I was no different. Truth be told, I had been holding back for quite some time.

"Leona"

I called. Leona's ears twitched slightly before her gaze fell upon me.

"Yes?"

As she asked this with her bright golden eyes, I turned my gaze back to her ears while speaking.

"Can I... touch your ears and tail?"

For some reason, this came out weirder than I initially expected. Somehow, it seemed like we were about to do something incredibly erotic. Upon hearing my request, Leona's cheeks turned incredibly red.

I was seriously confused by her reaction. Why did she seem so embarrassed? Although I didn't know, it was probably some culture of the Demi-humans that I wasn't familiar with.

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"If it's just a little..."

While these thoughts crossed my mind, Leona whispered, her face still incredibly red, but I sincerely was entirely focused on her ears and tail. It had been a while since I wanted to touch them since I saw her, and this time seemed to have finally come.

Carefully, I moved my free hand to Leona's ear. As my hand landed on her ear, I felt a soft and fluffy touch. Leona's ear twitched, but she didn't pull away; she just seemed curious about what I would do next.

I couldn't resist and also moved my other hand to Leona's tail. She seemed to realize what I was about to do, and her tail became completely rigid. However, even so, it didn't seem like it would run away. I discreetly turned my gaze to Leona; she had her face buried in my chest, her cheeks were quite red.

(Cute)

That was the only thought I had as I watched her. Returning to my mission, I finally touched Leona's tail. The sensation was incredibly cute and soft. Honestly, I could probably do this all day.

"Aaahn...!"

Suddenly, while immersed in the feeling of Leona's tail, a sigh escaped from between her lips. I looked at Leona in surprise, but her face remained on my chest, her cheeks even redder than before.

With a smile on my lips, I started to stroke Leona's tail and ears at the same time. Her body trembled with every touch, and her gentle voice echoed through the room. We were alone, and the situation was getting more and more intense, arousing a palpable excitement in me.

"Hyahn...!"

The atmosphere was heating up more and more, but unfortunately, a knock on the door caught our attention, interrupting our little play. Leona quickly got up and straightened her clothes, and I watched her with a smile on my face.

Although Leona seemed quite indifferent when talking about erotic things, she showed incredible shyness when similar situations to those she described happened to her. I didn't disapprove of this part of her; on the contrary, it seemed to be one of the many qualities that made her unique.

"Come in"

As soon as I said that, the door opened, revealing a white-haired girl who appeared with Ana. She quickly walked to my side and threw herself on the bed I was on. The situation was a bit unexpected, but considering the many strange ways Ana usually acted, I was able to analyze the situation to some extent.

"Is something wrong?"

I asked. Hearing my voice, Ana shook her head from side to side. Then, her calm and tranquil voice resonated in the room.

"I just missed Ma-kun"

I let out a small laugh when I heard that. Ana was small and cute, so I really understood why many guys fell in love with her. Therefore, I vowed to protect that cuteness at all costs.

"Also, Aoi-sensei told me to tell you that a letter from Sylvia arrived"

Ana said calmly and quietly. Hearing that, I was incredulous, as there really was a reason for her to have come. Anyway, I was about to get out of bed anyway. To begin with, I wasn't really hurt. The doctors just told me to lie down for a little longer, in case there was some internal injury.

In my opinion, the king didn't hit me hard enough to create an internal wound. When I told that to the doctors, they were surprised by my words. Besides the fact that I was relatively fine for someone who took a strong blow, in the end, my body seemed to be more resilient than I initially thought.