So-called Gentleman

Lynch had deliberately dimmed the lighting in the bedroom. The warm yellow glow of the magic lamp filtered through its shade, casting a hazy, soft light over the large, comfortable bed.

A faint fragrance of dried flowers lingered in the air; it was the lavender Lynch had specially stuffed into the pillows to help her sleep.

Felsy lay somewhat stiffly on her stomach, her face buried in the pillow, leaving only a pair of slightly trembling ears exposed... If she were of the beastkin race, they would probably be bright red by now. Unfortunately, she was a pure-blooded demon, so only the very tips of her ears could blush.

Her current posture... how should one put it? Even though she was decently dressed in a nightgown, exposing her back so defenselessly to another person was a massive test of her psychological limits, especially for a demon witch who was accustomed to constantly guarding against backstabs.

"Um... are you ready?"

Lynch sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the beautiful figure before him.

Her long silver hair cascaded across the bedsheets like a waterfall, while the beige nightgown traced the girl's slender waist and gentle curves.

Though she was still a bit frail, after several months of careful nursing, her skin now radiated a healthy, lustrous glow, much like a piece of flawless mutton-fat jade.

Lynch took a deep breath to calm his slightly restless heart.

Calm down, Lynch. You are here to give a massage, not to be a creep.

Even though she is your lawful wife, you have to take things one step at a time. You cannot seem too desperate.

"Mhm," Felsy's muffled voice came from the pillow. "Hurry up... If you dare touch anywhere weird, I will freeze you into an ice sculpture."

"Do not worry, I am a professional."

Lynch rubbed his hands together to warm his palms, then gently placed them over Felsy's shoulders.

Her skin felt slightly cool to the touch, and her muscles were as taut as a rock.

"Relax a bit, Felsy," Lynch said softly. "You are too tense. You will hurt your muscles like this."

"I... I am relaxed," Felsy insisted stubbornly, though her body betrayed her by stiffening even further.

Lynch smiled helplessly. It seemed he would just have to let his skills do the talking.

With a thought, he activated his Divine Massage Technique.

In an instant, Lynch felt as if his hands were imbued with some sort of magic. A map of the human body's meridians automatically surfaced in his mind, with every acupoint flashing like a tiny point of light.

His thumbs pressed precisely onto Felsy's Jianjing acupoints. Using just the right amount of pressure, infused with a strange, penetrating force, he began to knead slowly.

"Mmg!"

Felsy's tense body gave a sudden jolt, and she let out a short, muffled groan.

The sensation was incredibly strange.

The moment Lynch's fingers touched her sore, stiff shoulders, it felt as though a warm electrical current instantly pierced through her skin, coursing wildly along her meridians.

It was more than just her muscles relaxing; it felt as if countless gentle little hands were softly caressing her exhausted soul.

What kind of magic was this?!

Felsy was utterly shocked.

As a demon witch, she had experienced the finest healing magic the Demon Realm had to offer, and she had bathed in the miraculous sulfur blood pools. Yet, she had never experienced anything quite like this, a profound comfort that struck straight to the depths of her soul.

The deep-seated fatigue accumulated from years of constant tension and always being ready for battle actually began to disintegrate in that very moment, melting away like ice and snow in the spring.

"How is it? Is the pressure okay?" Lynch asked as he continued to massage, observing her reaction.

"B-Barely... acceptable."

Felsy bit her lip, desperately trying to maintain her aloof persona. "It is just... average. Not nearly as miraculous as you bragged..."

However, as Lynch's fingers traced their way down her spine, applying a special spiraling technique to press into several key soothing acupoints...

"Nnh... ahh..."

An uncontrollable, somewhat sweet and breathy moan escaped from Felsy's throat.

The moment the sound slipped out, Felsy instantly slapped a hand over her mouth, her entire face flushing as red as a boiled prawn.

How shameful! This was far too humiliating!

As the Crimson Calamity who once made the world tremble, how could she let out a sound like a tamed little kitten?!

This human must have used some sort of mind-controlling black magic!

"Seems like you are really sore here," Lynch said with complete seriousness, acting as if he had not heard that strange little noise. "Bear with it for a moment. You will feel much better once I knead these knots out."

The system did not lie to me!

This Divine Massage Technique was an absolute godsend for dealing with an aloof wife!

For Felsy, the following ten minutes were sheer, agonizing bliss.

She tried her hardest to keep a straight face, wanting to show disdain and prove that this was nothing more than an ordinary massage.

But her body had already completely betrayed her will.

Beneath Lynch's seemingly magical hands, she felt like a puddle of melted butter. She lay limply on the bed, stripped of the strength to move even a single finger. Her consciousness began to blur, making her feel as though she were floating on soft clouds, completely enveloped in warm sunlight.

"Phew... right there too... mhm..."

"There... a little harder..."

Eventually, Felsy gave up resisting altogether. She subconsciously began to direct Lynch, her voice so soft and sweet it could melt anyone's heart.

Lynch looked down at Felsy, who was gradually slipping into a dazed, euphoric state, the smile on his lips growing ever wider.

Right on cue, the system decided to make its presence known once again:

[Ding! Skill proficiency increased!] [Detected that the target's affection level is rapidly rising!] [The target's psychological defenses are crumbling. This is the optimal time to take advantage of her vulnerability! Would the host like to proceed with further...]

Lynch completely ignored the system's highly inappropriate suggestion.

He looked at Felsy.

The young woman's breathing had become even and steady. Her previously furrowed brow had completely smoothed out, and a serene smile graced her lips. Those purple eyes, usually so full of wariness and indifference, were now shut tightly, her long eyelashes resting like two little fans that occasionally gave a slight flutter.

She had fallen asleep.

This was the first time in three months that Lynch had seen her sleep so peacefully, so completely unguarded.

There were no defensive barriers and no magical fluctuations. She looked just like an ordinary, exhausted girl next door who had finally shed all her armor beside someone she trusted.

Lynch stilled his hands.

He watched her quietly for a moment, his gaze gradually softening. It was a look mingled with tenderness, affection, and a deep-seated desire to protect her.

Caught in the catastrophic crossfire between the Crimson Calamity and the Holy Son of the Eternal Radiant Moon, she had been teleported to a strange place and had lost a massive portion of her memories... She was just a girl who looked to be about the same age as Lynch. After going through all of that, she must have lived every single day in a state of high-strung anxiety.

He remembered the early days when he had first brought Felsy home to care for her. She would often jolt awake from nightmares, lashing out at her surroundings... Though, of course, her attacks amounted to nothing more than harmless scratching.

Lynch completely understood her reactions. Because of that, he never scolded her; instead, he simply tried to earn her trust with genuine, tangible warmth.

Just like he was doing now.

Trust, huh...

Then again, it seemed Felsy had come to trust him quite a bit now.

To think she had actually fallen asleep so defenselessly under his massage. Of course, the [God-Level Massage Technique] also played a massive role in this!