Supreme Spouse System.

Chapter 20 - The Truth Beneath the Touch

The Truth Beneath the Touch

The sun of the afternoon fell low, painting the stone walls of the study in a golden warm light.

Leon reclined in his spacious chair, tilting back ever so slightly as he scanned the papers scattered over his desk. His gaze read over the parchment, but his hand was elsewhere—hidden deep under the creases of Ariaʼs maid dress.

The small maid sat sideways across his lap, her voluptuous body contoured to fit him like a piece in a puzzle. His left arm was tightly around her waist, pulling her close to his chest. His right hand? It had found its way down into the material of her skirt, gently holding onto her broad hips and sometimes stimulating them in slow, circular motions. Every touch made her body shudder, her breathing catching at each squeeze.

She tried to maintain composure—really, she did—but the little moans that escaped her lips every few moments betrayed her struggle.

”Ah... mm... my lord... y-youʼre distracting me...”

Leon didnʼt even look up from the document in his hand. ”Youʼre the one moaning, little maid.”

Her face flushed scarlet. She buried it into his chest with a muffled squeak.

He chuckled softly; eyes half-lidded with amusement. ”You were giving a report. Continue.”

Aria looked up at him, mouth open, eyes blurry and watery. ”B-But how can I talk properly when y-youʼre touching me like that...”

Leon grinned but didnʼt let up.

Her voice trembled, but she attempted again. ”As I was saying... the intruders were last seen east of the Moonspire... near the old ruins...”

Her words trailed off as he squeezed her bottom harder.

”Ahn~!” She startled, biting her lip, eyes widening in a combination of pleasure and flustered horror.

She glared at him faintly—soft, pouty, and completely adorable. ”Y-Youʼre doing it on purpose...”

Leon looked at her with a crooked smile. ”You look too cute when youʼre flustered. Canʼt help it.”

Her heart missed a beat. Even while teasing her, his voice had warmth.

But while his hand played, his mind strayed.

The remains... Why now? Who were they?

His mind grew darker.

If only I was powerful enough... he seethed. At that time, when I was with Rias... I reached the pinnacle of the Mortal Realm. Ever since then... Iʼve struck a wall.

In spite of the deep intimacy he shared with Rias, in spite of their physical bond... his cultivation hadnʼt increased.

His fingers stopped moving.

He realized—he never informed either of them.

Aria didnʼt know his cultivation was low. And Rias... it wasnʼt that he didnʼt trust her. She was no longer a lover; she was now his partner, his lifeline, his future.

But he didnʼt wish to worry her. Her mind was sharp—too sharp. If she realized his strength had plateaued, sheʼd go to great lengths to improve it....

And Aria.

Innocent. Loyal. Sweet beyond words. And this sweet maid—still sitting on his lap, squirming against his touch—looked at him like he was everything.

A part of him asked: She deserves to know.

And when he teased her again—pinching her soft, plush ass—her mouth opened with another moan. Her hand clutched the edge of the desk, her cheeks flushing, her body warm in his arms.

”D-Donʼt... mmm... disturb your work... Iʼm t-trying to be serious...”

He laughed under his breath. ”You are. Thatʼs what makes it fun.”

But even as he said it, he stared at her face—the little pout, the half-lidded eyes—and memories surged.

The old Leon—a fool. Blind. Aria had been loyal, reliable, and quietly in love with him. And he never acknowledged her feelings.

Yet she never left him.

Even when his body was ravaged, when all the others turned their backs on him—she was the one who stayed. Fed him. Nursed him. Spoke to him as though he were still a man.

And now?

Now that he had borrowed Leonʼs body—he was not going to repeat the same error.

She was worth more than teasing.

She was worth trust.

If he was to tell anyone—if there was someone who could bear the weight with maturity and help him grow stronger—it would be Aria.

He cleared his throat. ”Little maid.”

Aria blinked, looking up with flushed cheeks. ”Y-Yes, my lord?”

His eyes met hers—sharp, intense. The teasing was erased.

”I want to talk about something. You... and Rias.”

Her breath caught. Her heart began pounding in her chest.

W-What is he going to say? she frantically thought. Does he want to—no, is he going to... c-confess?! Or perhaps... he wants to take me too? Like Rias?

Her face was a gorgeous mess of shock, hope, and confusion.

Leon carefully took the parchment from her shaking hands and carefully cleared a space on the desk, and in one smooth, effortless motion, picked Aria up by the waist and sat her on the edge of the table, turning her to face him.

In one smooth, effortless movement, he picked her up and set her on the edge of the desk.

”Ah...!” she breathed, eyes wide as her soft thighs pressed against the wood. ”M-My lord!”

”Youʼre light,” he whispered. ”Your bodyʼs warm... softer than clouds.”

She looked at him, utterly speechless.

He didnʼt sit. He stood before her, looking into her eyes, his voice low but unyielding.

”Little maid. Iʼm going to tell you something important. So, listen carefully.”

Her heart pounded. She couldnʼt catch her breath.

The expression in his eyes—it wasnʼt teasing. It was serious. Real.

She sat up straighter, hands clasped over her lap. ”Yes, my lord.”

”Seal the room,” he instructed.

Her breath caught again. No joke. No smile.

Only authority.

She nodded hastily and lifted her hands. A pale violet aura radiated from her palms, creating a soft glow around the walls and windows.

”Done, Lord.”

He nodded slightly.

”Good,” he said. Then, in a calm voice, ”Now. Concentrate. Sense the energy around me.”

She blinked, perplexed. ”Your... energy?”

”Yes. Just sense it. Describe what you feel.”

She hesitated but obeyed. Her eyes narrowed, her senses stretching out.

A moment passed.

And then—her breath froze.

”...Lord?”

Her gaze widened. Her body shivered slightly.

”Your... your energy... feels...”

She hesitated.

Leon waited; expression unreadable.

”...It feels... strange. Dull. Muffled. Itʼs like...” She gulped. ”Y-Youʼre at the Mortal Realm.”