Now that Uchiha Byakuya was earning a considerable salary, it was only natural that his living conditions had improved as well.
Yoshimura Eto lay sprawled out on the couch, casually resting both her legs on Byakuya's lap.
"This couch is way too comfortable."
She sighed in satisfaction.
"No matter how comfortable it is, you should still get up, take a bath, and go to sleep."
Byakuya was about to head for a shower.
After spending so much time in the 24th Ward today and considering just how filthy the underground labyrinth was; he really needed to clean up.
Eto finally moved her legs aside.
However, just as Byakuya had finished undressing and was about to step into the shower, he suddenly heard light, bouncing footsteps approaching.
He didn't even need to think; it had to be Eto.
Since Byakuya had locked the door, Eto tried the handle first. When she found it wouldn't open, she immediately started knocking.
"I'm taking a shower. Just wait a little."
Byakuya reminded her.
"But I wanted to help scrub your back as a reward. That's not allowed?"
Eto asked bluntly.
"..."
Byakuya fell silent for a moment but in the end, he still got up and unlocked the door.
As soon as it swung open, he was met with Eto's playful, mischievous grin.
"I knew it. Typical lolicon. The moment you hear something like that, you open the door immediately~"
She teased.
At this moment, Eto was wearing nothing but a loosely wrapped bath towel.
And yet she wasn't even slightly embarrassed.
Instead, she was having way too much fun messing with Byakuya.
"...Get out. You can shower after I'm done."
Byakuya's expression instantly darkened.
He refused to acknowledge the slanderous nickname of "lolicon."
"Oh, come on. I was just kidding. My King worked so hard today, you deserve a little reward."
Eto giggled, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Byakuya sighed in mild exasperation.
Truth be told, he really couldn't do anything about her.
He liked Eto.
And because he liked her, he tolerated her antics a little more.
With that, Byakuya simply began showering.
Naturally, he was completely bare.
Eto, on the other hand not only did she not show a hint of embarrassment, she actually watched him with great interest.
For the first time in his life, Byakuya actually felt a little self-conscious.
He didn't show it outwardly, but internally, he definitely felt more than a bit awkward.
Which raised an interesting question, in this situation… who was actually the criminal here?
Byakuya sat on a chair while Eto scrubbed his back.
Despite her earlier teasing, once she started, she became completely serious about it.
"You know, I never really noticed before but now that I see it up close, your back is actually pretty broad."
Eto suddenly commented.
"This isn't the first time you've seen my back."
Byakuya replied.
"That was different. Last time, I was checking for your kakuhou."
Eto said.
The moment she mentioned kakuhou, she immediately recalled something; the last time she checked, Byakuya didn't even have a kakuhou… yet he could still enter a kakuja-like form.
And today, he had revealed even more secrets.
At this point, the shower was nearly finished, so she decided to let it go for now.
But later, she was absolutely going to interrogate him about it!
Since they were already in the bathroom together, Eto naturally took the opportunity to shower as well.
Afterward, they brushed their teeth together, sharing the same cup like an old married couple.
And somehow it didn't feel the least bit out of place.
It was actually because they were temporarily using disposable cups.
After all, in Japan, most rental apartments came completely unfurnished.
When they moved in, they had prioritized buying essential furniture and had accidentally overlooked smaller necessities like proper cups.
Besides, the pack of disposable cups was stored on a high shelf, and Eto couldn't be bothered to grab one.
So, she had simply taken the cup that Byakuya had already used.
As they got into bed, preparing to sleep, Eto couldn't wait to speak up.
"We really need to go over what happened today. The abilities you showed; there's no way a normal human or a normal ghoul could do those things, right?"
"That's true..."
Byakuya had already anticipated that Eto would ask about this.
However, he couldn't tell her too much.
"Those are just the abilities of my eyes. I told you before; my eyes are mutated. That's all I can say."
The secret of "Dual Kamui" was just as untouchable as his true identity as a transmigrator.
So, he chose to be direct with Eto and set clear boundaries.
"...Fine."
Although Eto felt a little disappointed, her rational side told her that Byakuya must have his reasons.
So, she didn't press further, nor did she dwell on it.
"Alright. I won't ask about it anymore. But in return, you owe me something."
Her tone was calm.
"Owe you what?"
Byakuya asked, curious.
Eto simply spread her arms wide toward him.
"Hold me."
Byakuya paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Alright."
And with that, the two of them fell asleep in each other's embrace.
19th Ward.
Early in the morning, Eto dragged Byakuya here to scout the area in advance, preparing for Aogiri Tree's expansion.
"Come on, let's check that place out."
However, athis moment; Eto had somehow ended up shopping inside a large mall.
"...Are you here to scout the area, or just to go shopping...?"
Byakuya sighed in mild exasperation.
"Why not both? Scouting and shopping aren't mutually exclusive. We've got plenty of time today, anyway."
Eto replied nonchalantly.
Ever since they defeated the 'Labyrinth' , Aogiri Tree had planned to lay low and recover in the 24th Ward for a while.
Now that the main obstacles in the 24th Ward had been cleared, there was no real need for her to stay there constantly.
"Alright. Just don't get too caught up and lose track of time."
Byakuya indulged Eto a lot.
But he couldn't afford to spend too long scouting the 19th Ward with her.
Otherwise, it might raise suspicions among the members of the Washuu Clan and those V bastards.
Half a day, maybe one full day, was fine.
But two or three days?
That was definitely too much.
As for the Washuu Clan and V?
Of course, they were already aware that Byakuya apparently had a "wife."
Back at the CCG, that old misunderstanding had never been cleared up.
So, everyone genuinely believed that he was already married.
At first, Byakuya had wanted to clarify things but Eto refused to let him.
In the end, the matter was simply left unresolved.
And now, it seemed like even the Washuu Clan had taken it seriously because when Byakuya checked his personal profile in the CCG database;
In the section labeled "Family Members", someone had added: "Uchiha Eto."