Chapter 478: My Best Friend’s in Love with a Lamia?!
The morning sun filtered weakly through the penthouse curtains, the rain clouds parting just enough to cast a golden glow across the room. Nikolai shifted, muscles aching faintly from the past week’s endless cycle of battles, training and sex.
On his right, Anya lay sprawled with her arm draped across his stomach, lips parted, breathing soft and warm.
The faint bite marks along her shoulder glistened against the sheets.
On his left, Clara curled tightly into a ball, her gossamer wings twitching in her sleep. She clung to his arm with both hands, face buried against his biceps as though afraid he’d vanish if she let go. Her tiny frame radiated warmth, but her expression was troubled even in slumber.
Nikolai brushed a finger down her cheek. "What are you dreaming of, little fairy?"
She whimpered softly, hugging him tighter.
The smell of grilled meat drifted into the room, pulling his senses awake. Leona’s voice hummed faintly from the kitchen, sharp and playful when she thought nobody listened. Although he slept with these two now, most of the night was spent with Leona... she slept on his chest, and her scent covered his body.
She sounds delighted.
He eased himself free without waking the two at his sides, stretching his arms until his shoulders cracked.
A flicker of black aura leaked around him before he sucked it back inside.
"Tsk..." Since coming close to the Great Elder level, his aura reached a sort of limit, almost overflowing from his body. He grabbed a loose pair of pants, tugging them on, and padded barefoot into the kitchen.
"..."
Leona stood at the counter in a slim black nightdress, apron tied tight around her waist. Her hair was tied in a loose bun, a few orange strands falling into her sharp green eyes. "Hm?" She glanced over her shoulder, a smile growing instantly.
"You’re late," she teased, flipping the meat in the pan. "I expected you to wake earlier after falling asleep in the gym like an old man."
Nikolai’s bitter smile twitched before sliding his arms around her waist from behind. "This old man?" His lips brushed against her nape, earning a small shiver. "You drained me for hours, even more than the fights did."
"Hmph, didn’t you start it? Don’t flatter me." She nudged him with her hip, though her tail wagged slightly against his thigh. "Eat first. Then you can shower. You stink of sweat, blood... and me~"
Nikolai chuckled, pulling back as footsteps pattered down the hallway rapidly. Anya appeared, hair a tangled mess, wearing only his shirt, her mismatched eyes heavy with sleep. "Mm?" She looked around, then focused on Nikolai."
"You came without me again!"
Leona raised an eyebrow at the sight. "You can barely walk straight, and yet you’re already up? Impressive."
"Shut up," Anya muttered, but her lips twitched with a smile.
Clara peeked timidly from behind her, still in her nightgown, wings fluttering. She whispered, "Um... I want to train too."
"Wah!?"
Shocked, Anya pulled away, almost falling as Clara tripped her by "accident."
***
Nikolai leaned against the counter, pouring himself a glass of coffee while watching the three women gather in the kitchen.
Leona slid the plate of grilled meat onto the table, posture straight and elegant even in her nightdress. Anya slumped into a chair opposite her, spreading her legs shamelessly under the table as though daring Leona to comment. Clara sat between them, fidgeting with her hands, eyes bouncing nervously from one woman to the other.
The silence lingered for a moment.
Leona finally broke it.
Her green eyes locked onto Anya, sharp and steady. "You’re too reckless."
Anya’s mismatched eyes flared, red and blue both glinting. "And you’re bossy."
The tension pricked at the air like static. Nikolai almost expected claws and fangs, but Leona sighed softly, resting her chin on her palm. "But... you have potential."
Anya blinked, surprised at the compliment. "Huh?"
Leona straightened, her voice firm, almost formal. "I’ve watched you fight, Anya. You waste energy trying to make flashy moves... You rush with emotion, and your strikes lack precision. But the explosive power and your will to grow stronger—is something I respect."
Anya’s lips parted, surprise flickering before she crossed her arms with a huff.
"Tch. I don’t need your approval."
"No, but don’t be cocky," Leona agreed calmly. "But you need my guidance. If you truly wish to stand beside the man we both love." Her eyes flicked to Nikolai, then back. "Then you can’t afford to be sloppy, or you’ll end up dead and break his heart."
"..."
"And I won’t forgive you if you waste his seed and his trust."
Anya’s cheeks flushed crimson at the bluntness. "Y-You...! Do you have to say it like that!?"
Leona smirked faintly, then leaned forward across the table, her tone dropping softer, intimate. "I’ll teach you. Not as a rival, but as a mentor. I’ll make you into a bride worthy of him."
Clara gasped lightly, wings fluttering. "A... bride...?"
Anya stared, caught between indignation and a strange stirring in her chest. For all her bravado, she’d felt like the weakest link. Compared to her sisters and the other women whom Nikolai loved, she understood her situation wasn’t looking good.
Hearing Leona—Nikolai’s wife say that with such conviction shook her.
"Why would you help me?" she asked cautiously, mismatched eyes narrowing.
"What? Don’t you know?" Leona’s smile softened, almost sisterly. "Because I love him, and want him to be happy. Wouldn’t it be better for us to fight in the bedroom and avoid too many useless fights? And..." She glanced at Nikolai, her cheeks tinting red. "He needs brides who can help support him too... not just lean on him."
Alice and Clara’s mouths opened wide, stunned and in awe.
For a moment, she looked down at her hands, fangs biting her lower lip. Then, slowly, she nodded. "...Fine. Train me. But don’t hold back, even if I cry, complain or want to give up... don’t let me."
"Good." Leona reached across the table, offering her hand. "Then we’re settled."
Anya eyed the hand suspiciously, then clasped it, grip firm.
"Don’t think I’ll start calling you ’sister’ or anything."
Leona snorted, squeezing once before letting go. "I’d slap you if you did."
Clara’s timid voice broke between them. "Um... then... could I join too?" Her small hands twisted in her lap, wings trembling nervously. "I... I’m not as strong as either of you. But I don’t want to sit on the sidelines anymore. I want to help him too."
Nikolai’s eyes softened. He listened to the women and felt a weight shifting once again. Last time it was Selene and Kumiko, and this time, Leona...
He appreciated having so many wonderful women.
Leona took Clara’s hand after Anya and gave a gentle nod.
"Are you sure? It’ll be tough and dangerous."
Clara blinked at the hand touching hers too, realising that Leona included her in this situation... she was also considered a bride candidate!
Her little fists balled tight. "I... I want to. Even if I can only do a little, I want to stand with you."
Leona observed her for a long moment, then nodded. "Then you’ll train with us. But you’ll follow my instructions, Clara. No excuses."
Leona’s voice carried from the kitchen, and the smell of spices and garlic drifted through the apartment. Anya and Clara busied themselves with setting the table, but the restless gleam in their eyes gave them away.
"You two..." Leona wiped her hands on a towel and glanced at them with a knowing smile. "You’re itching to train again, aren’t you?"
Anya smirked, tossing her blonde curls. "Better than sitting around waiting for Nikolai to wake up. Besides, if I don’t sharpen up, he’ll crush me even harder next time."
Clara fidgeted, wings twitching as she looked down at her hands. "...I’ll come too. I don’t want to fall behind anymore."
Leona’s smile softened. "Good. Then after training, we’ll go into the city together. A change of pace will do us all good."
Nikolai stirred from the couch, eyes half-open, watching the three of them with a lazy grin. "Running off without me?"
"You’ve already had your fill," Leona teased, brushing past him with a flick of her orange ponytail. "Besides, someone needs to stay behind and keep Ryan company."
As if summoned, Ryan stepped into the room with his spear strapped across his back. His eyes locked onto Nikolai, steady but nervous. "If the girls are leaving, then... I’d like another round with you."
Nikolai sat forward with a smile, but he noticed the bruises and kiss marks on Ryan’s neck and shook his head. "Today we should take a break, sometimes rest is important, brother." He patted the seat beside him. "How about we go for a drink in the city tonight?"
"Eh...?" Ryan loosened his grip and looked deflated, but also a touch happy.
"Since the girls are going shopping, I’ll treat you. You’ve worked hard this week."
"S-Sure." Ryan’s voice trembled; he almost forgot that he and Nikolai were originally best friends. After a week of intense training, that relationship faded into the back of his mind. He paused while tapping his thigh... before turning to Nikolai.
"Thanks for the training and advice... thanks to you, we finally made it official."