Chapter 459 - 213: Distinguished Guest

In the end, Sean gave in.

He rolled out of bed and walked briskly to the bathroom.

It wasn’t that he actually wanted to bathe; he had already been getting ready for bed. But what could he do? Elise had him right where she wanted him.

’If you can’t refuse, you might as well close your eyes and enjoy it.’

Sean was very open-minded and had a great attitude about this sort of thing. It was just like when Olivia used to pin him down. If he couldn’t fight back, he might as well not fight back at all. ’Besides, having someone else help you bathe isn’t so bad.’

SHHH.

The sound of running water soon came from the bathroom.

Sean turned on the shower, adjusting the water temperature as he shouted:

"Hurry up."

"If we finish up early, we can still go grab a late-night snack."

Elise, who was still on the bed hesitating over whether to undress before going in or after, couldn’t help but chuckle when she heard Sean’s voice. "Are you rushing me now?"

"Weren’t you planning to go to sleep? And now you want a late-night snack?"

"I changed my mind."

Sean had his reasons. "Bathing is physical work. It makes you lose body heat faster, so you need to eat something to replenish your Energy."

"Oh?" Elise’s tone was suggestive. "It seems Mr. Writer is ready to be eaten up by me?"

"I’m trying to share some legitimate scientific knowledge with you. Stop trying to twist my words," Sean huffed. "If we’re going to bathe, then let’s just bathe. No funny business."

’Isn’t it common knowledge that bathing burns calories? Do I really need you to explain it to me?’ Elise thought, both amused and exasperated. She decided to provoke Sean. "So, is Mr. Writer scared?"

"Don’t tell me you’re still a virgin?"

Sean: "?"

’You say that like you aren’t a virgin yourself.’

He retorted internally, then said aloud, "None of your business."

"Anyway, if you try any funny business, I’ll call the cops immediately."

"The cops?"

Amused by Sean’s peculiar choice of words, Elise laughed out loud. "The cops, Mr. Writer?"

"Are you hoping I’ll ’cuff’ you?"

"Don’t get your hopes up."

Sean said, "I’ll just send you flying with a kick. Go on and try me if you don’t believe it."

Elise quickly relented. "Alright, alright, I promise. I absolutely won’t get handsy. Is that okay?"

"I hope you keep your word," Sean snorted. "Otherwise, my Forbidden Spell isn’t just for show."

"Don’t worry, Mr. Writer," Elise said with a grin. "I may not be a ’good woman,’ but I know where to draw the line. I never go back on a promise."

Seeing her say this, Sean didn’t dwell on the issue any longer. "Fine. I’ll trust you one more time."

However, Sean soon discovered that he had miscalculated.

Elise did come in wearing clothes, but the garment was thin and form-fitting. Once drenched by the hot water, it became almost completely transparent. Her beautiful hair was soaked as well, with water dripping from the tips. Strands of it clung together, messily sticking to her forehead, cheeks, collarbones, and pale neck. The steam made the bathroom hazy, like a beautiful painting viewed through a soft filter. Combined with the sheer sleep shirt clinging to her skin, it added a touch of aesthetic, innocent sensuality—even more alluring than if she had worn nothing at all.

’This was actually still fine,’ he thought. ’I just have to not look.’

Sean could just close his eyes.

But the moment he closed them, he gave Elise the opportunity to do something even more terrifying.

Sean wanted to finish quickly—he couldn’t keep his ’gun’ under control for too long—so he opted for the shower instead of the tub. He and Elise were both standing. The showerhead was large enough, and its spray range was adjustable, so neither of them would get cold.

Everything was normal at first. Elise gently applied shower gel for him and scrubbed his back with a loofah. But when it was time to wash his front, Sean closed his eyes to try and cool down. At that moment, Elise’s hand, which had been resting on his waist, suddenly slid downward as she knelt.

Sean: "?"

"Wait!"

"We agreed you wouldn’t get handsy!"

Elise’s cheeks were flushed and the tips of her ears were pink—it was hard to tell if it was from the steam or something else. She looked up at Sean, letting the splashing water patter against her face, and blinked. "Mr. Sean, you’ve misunderstood me. I don’t plan on using my hands."

Sean’s whole body tensed up. "Then what are you doing?"

Elise’s eyes glimmered as she whispered, "I’m using my mouth."

Sean: "???"

"No, wait a sec— Hiss!"

This was where he had miscalculated.

And similarly, Elise had miscalculated too.

「Half an hour later.」

The two of them emerged from the room, having changed into the loungewear the hotel specially provided for its VIP guests. They headed to the restaurant that served late-night snacks to "replenish their mana."

As it happened, Howard was there too.

The moment Sean and Elise entered, Howard spotted them. After they sat down, he stood up, walked over, and greeted them with a smile. "Mr. Sean, Miss Elise, good evening."

"You’re here for a late-night snack too?"

"Mhm."

At the same time, a waiter brought over the menus.

It was full of things Sean had never heard of; he hadn’t expected a late-night snack menu to have so many options. For a moment, he didn’t know what to choose, so he simply asked Howard for a few recommendations.

"Which of these tastes the best?" Sean asked.

"Honestly, they’re all pretty good. They’re at the level of a Michelin-star pastry chef," Howard said objectively. "You’ll have to tell me your taste preferences so I know what to suggest."

Sean thought for a moment. "Something sweet?"

Sweetness is one of the flavors most capable of bringing people a sense of happiness. Plus, Sean had the type of constitution that meant he never gained weight—after all, he was someone not even time could affect. He didn’t have to worry about getting fat at all.

The moment Howard heard he wanted something sweet, he immediately gave Sean a thumbs-up. "Mr. Sean, you have excellent taste."

He also loved sweets.

He’d loved them since he was a child.

His childhood was filled with lessons like Magic training, Meditation, and etiquette. It was the same after he grew up; if he didn’t meet his teachers’ standards, he wasn’t allowed to eat. It wasn’t just him, either. Howard believed everyone else was the same. Everyone has their own hardships, like poverty, illness, loneliness... ’In short,’ he thought, ’life is already bitter enough. Why not have something sweet?’