With his Transmutation control, the simple wall slowly descended, disappearing into the ground like it had never existed.
From behind the dim light of the glowing rocks and the campfire that warmed the night, Yue's figure emerged in a new outfit, a black-and-white hanfu with dark grass motifs painted like a high-value art canvas.
Some of the ties looked rudimentary, perhaps because it was her first time wearing such an outfit.
But even though it was a little messy, Yue's natural elegance made up for it. She stood still between the light and shadow, and to Hajime... he was like the moon shining serenely in the dark expanse of the night grassland.
Hajime could only remain silent, staring without saying a word.
Being stared at silently by Hajime, Yue's face slowly turned red. She turned her face slightly, her voice sounding soft, "Hajime... please don't stare too long."
On the other hand, El smiled slightly while muttering to herself, "Nice expression. 100 points for me for choosing the right clothes!"
Then, in a half-joking and casual tone, El said, "How is it? My daughter is beautiful, isn't she?"
"Yes, father-in-law. Yue is very beautiful," Hajime replied spontaneously, without thinking.
Yue blushed even more, her cheeks flushed vividly even under the dim light.
Meanwhile, El's smile widened even more. "In that case, when are you proposing to my daughter, Hajime-kun?"
"Soon, father-in-law-"
Hajime was silent for a moment, then his expression froze. "...Wait, what did I just say?"
Realizing his own verbal mistake, Hajime's face turned stiff. Awkwardly, he suddenly raised Donner and pointed the gun at El, as if to hide his embarrassment.
"Hahaha," El laughed out loud at Hajime's panicked expression, then quickly waved both hands. "Sorry, sorry... but your reaction just now was really funny."
Hajime lowered Donner with an annoyed snort, trying to hide his embarrassment.
On the other hand, Yue was still standing with flushed cheeks, embarrassed by the 'proposal' sentence that spontaneously came out of Hajime's mouth.
After the atmosphere began to subside, El stood up and walked closer to Yue, her eyes observing the details of the clothes she was wearing.
"It fits perfectly," El commented while nodding slowly. "But it still needs a little adjustment. The bottom should be cut to the knee, and... you also tied some of the straps wrong."
Yue glanced at El with a flat look, then said softly, "You gave yourself this elaborate outfit."
El shrugged and let out a short breath. "Alright, I admit... it's my fault too. Put your fur robe back on, and let me customize it for you."
Understanding El's meaning, Hajime again created a simple dressing room for Yue. Not long after, Yue came out and handed the Hanfu to El.
Without saying much, El took out a sewing needle, thread, and scissors from Sky Pearl Poison, a special kit for fabrics, and began to calmly adjust the clothes.
Yue and Hajime watched El's skillful hand movements, clearly showing that this was not unfamiliar to him. There was no strange impression, no prejudice. Only diligence and experience spoke.
While sewing, El told a snippet of his past story, about someone who once asked him to learn sewing for a trivial reason, something to do with the woman El had mentioned before.
Hajime and Yue could only silently listen. Yue glanced over, and although her face remained calm, there was a faint tenderness in her eyes.
Hajime let out a short sigh, not commenting on anything, but the look in his eyes showed understanding, because he knew, there was a secret that El didn't want to tell in full.
Before long, El had finished adjusting Yue's clothes. He cut the bottom to the knee without damaging the pattern, then left the long patterned sleeves intact, adding a graceful yet practical feel.
He also simplified the waistband to make it easier to wear and less restrictive.
Through all the changes, one thing was clear: El prioritized Yue's comfort above all else.
With faint enthusiasm, Yue quickly put on the customized clothes behind a simple dressing room, then came out and showed them to Hajime.
As a result, Hajime was again stunned, the clothes really fit well on Yue's body. However, unlike before, this time he kept his expression and demeanor carefully, wary of being played by El again.
Receiving that sharp, watchful gaze, El only replied with a friendly smile, as if enjoying the situation.
Time rolled by quickly, without feeling how long had passed and hunger began to creep into Hajime's stomach.
He stopped the activity of grinding stones, the main ingredient of Donner bullets and opened the large bag by his side.
From inside, Hajime took out a piece of monster meat, then stuck it on a long iron and grilled it on the bonfire in front of him.
A faint burnt aroma spread, but the taste remained unchanged: like trash. Even so, Hajime ate it slowly, unwillingly, because the only option to survive was to keep going, even with a taste that tormented the tongue.
On the other hand, El and Yue just watched silently, as if not tempted in the slightest by the food Hajime prepared.
After taking a sip of Ambrosia, Hajime shifted his gaze and asked, "You guys aren't eating?"
El shook his head lightly, then replied calmly, "I'm not hungry. Besides, with my current level, I don't really need food... as long as I have enough energy in my body."
Yue glanced at El with a curious look, but remained uncharacteristically silent. Slowly, her gaze shifted to Hajime, as if waiting for something from him.
Seeing that reaction, Hajime asked, "If Yue... didn't eat?" He remembered something and added, "You've been sealed for quite a while. Do you really not need to eat?"
Yue smiled slightly. There was a mysterious gleam in her eyes as she slowly licked her lower lip. Hajime spontaneously shuddered at the sight, there was something disturbing in the way Yue was looking at him now.
With a gentle gesture, Yue pointed an index finger at Hajime.
"Hajime," she whispered, "you're... so delicious."
She began to crawl slowly towards him, her voice seductive. "The scent of adult flavor..."
Hajime immediately dragged his body backwards slowly with a panicked expression, until his back hit the cave wall. "H-Huh? Wh-what do you mean...?"
Yue was now right in front of him on all fours, her golden eyes shining like a hungry predator staring at prey. Her breathing was calm... too calm.
"Your blood..." she whispered softly but clearly, "it tastes like a slowly simmered vegetable and meat soup... a tantalizing deep aroma... a rich and biting flavor..."
Hajime was getting more and more panicked, his body stiffened, his breath came in gasps. He turned his head quickly towards El. "Adrian! Please help me a little here!"
But El just smiled warmly as if it was no big deal. He got up slowly while patting his clothes from dust, though there was none.
"Have fun... I'm going to catch some air somewhere else." He said casually before turning around and walking away, one hand on his back, as if nothing had happened.
Hajime froze. "You traitor!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Yue lunged from the right side with vampire speed.
Hajime's body fell to the floor with a loud thud, his eyes widened when he saw Yue's face so close... too close. "Y-Yue... wait a minute! We can talk about this!"
"Time to eat," Yue whispered softly, her face getting closer to Hajime's neck.
Her small fangs slowly penetrated Hajime's skin, and she started sucking blood with a passion that was hard to hide.
Hajime's soft sighs sounded soft, a mixture of pain and strange... pleasure that was hard to explain.
On the other side, El sat leisurely on a boulder, a gourd jug of wine in his right hand. From where he was, he heard the moaning sounds of Hajime who was being used as a personal 'blood bag' by Yue.
In a calm manner, El took a sip of his wine then sighed softly, chuckling. "Get used to it, my Disciple. Your Master also has a wife, Seitenshi... and two lovely daughters, Aoi and Sawa, who also like to suck my blood."