Chapter 72: A full-blown yandere!

May’s face flushed hot enough to scorch. She reached up to push against his chest, her fingers pressing into his shirt, feeling the taut, hard muscle beneath the fabric. She couldn’t budge him at all—it was like trying to push a solid, warm wall.

"Ace, please be reasonable—"

Ugh, it’s all Ray’s fault! If I weren’t so sore, I would have taken care of you long ago!

"I am reasonable," his fingers drifted further down her neck, coming to a halt at the collar of her heavy military coat. "Tell me, Sister-in-law... am I not your most loyal hound?"

May’s breath caught in her throat.

"My life is entirely yours," Ace leaned against her ear, his voice turning soft and delicate. "If you command me to go east, I won’t ever step west. If you order me to kill, I won’t even hesitate to sharpen my blade. Why won’t you pet such an obedient hound?"

Taking her wrist, he guided her hand gently down his chest. Through the thin fabric of his shirt, May could feel his heart hammering wildly against his ribs.

"Why not touch me too?" Ace’s lips grazed her earlobe as he murmured, "Compare me to Mitch... see whose is bigger."

A crisp chime exploded inside May’s mind like a flashbang.

[System Triggered: Host and target Ace achieved synchronized heartbeats under extreme romantic tension! Granted Bizarre Item — ’Bulletproof Lace Camisole’ ×1.]

A flash of pink light flickered into existence.

A delicate lace camisole materialized out of thin air, falling onto the bed roll between them. It was stark white, trimmed with soft lace borders. The fabric was scandalously minimal—two thin straps holding up two palm-sized patches of cloth, wrapped with a layer of bulletproof transparent mesh.

Both May and Ace looked down at the same moment.

The surrounding air froze instantly.

May felt her face go beyond burning—it was actively combusting.

Ace stared at the lace camisole for two long seconds before slowly lifting his head. The smile on his face didn’t fade; instead, it deepened until the dark embers in his eyes almost burst into open flame. His almond eyes surged with a sickly, thrilled excitement, as if a scientist had just stumbled upon the most flawless specimen in a lab.

"Sister-in-law," he bent down and pinched a single shoulder strap of the camisole between two fingers, holding it up in front of her eyes with a light sway. "You... want me to wear this for you?"

"I DO NOT!" ℯℯ𝘭.

May’s voice jumped a full octave. "That was dropped by some weird magic system! It isn’t mine!"

"Anything dropped by magic is meant for you to use," Ace replied softly, bringing the lace camisole up beneath his nose to catch a gentle whiff. "Mmm, fresh with no scent at all. Though, if you wore it, it would probably smell sweet."

May felt ready to crawl into a hole and expire. She reached out desperately to snatch the camisole back, but with a flick of his wrist, Ace evaded her grip with effortless ease.

He spun the thin lace around his fingers, letting it loop twice around his knuckles, before dipping his head until their noses were practically touching.

"Don’t be afraid, Sister-in-law," his voice sounded as soft as spun cotton candy dipped in honey. "I wouldn’t do anything excessive to you in front of so many people."

He paused slightly.

"However, make sure you remember this—" Reaching out, he gently straightened the lapels of her disheveled military overcoat, his movement as delicate as handling fragile porcelain. "If you ever dare to look at another man again, then..."

"Then what..."

"Once we reach the offshore base, I’ll lock you away."

Oh no, he really is a full-blown yandere!

"Lock me where?"

"Right by my side," Ace smiled with his eyes curving into sweet crescents. "Nowhere else. Ray is far too busy to keep a proper eye on you, but I have all the time in the world."

Leaning down close, his shadow completely enveloped May. The dark fire deep within his eyes burned with terrifying intensity as his fingers twirled a thin piece of steel wire he had fished from his pocket around his knuckles.

"You don’t like me, do you?" he murmured softly. "In that case, I’ll just drag you away to the offshore base and lock you down so you can’t go anywhere."

May gasped in genuine alarm. If this unhinged man lost his sanity, he was fully capable of snatching her away on the spot!

"No! Ace, listen to me! Let me explain!" Her voice squeaked frantically, her wide, glistening eyes round with sheer panic. "It’s not that I don’t like you—it’s that I literally can’t take it!"

Ace froze, a brief flash of surprise crossing his almond eyes. "Can’t take what?"

Biting her lower lip, May’s face flushed hot enough to cook an egg. She leaned in close to his ear and whimpered in a low, embarrassed whisper, "Ray’s... weapon is ridiculously large, I’m not exaggerating at all! Just moving around right now takes everything I’ve got, so how could I possibly dare to provoke you too..."

Hearing those words, the dark gloom on Ace’s face dissolved by half, replaced by a subtle mix of smug satisfaction and tender sympathy.

"Oh really?" Ace let out a soft laugh, tossing the wire aside. "Ah~ then I truly misjudged you, sweetheart. My heart aches for you. Ray really doesn’t know how to treat a fragile girl gently. Seeing how sore he made you, it’s no wonder you were afraid of me."

May nodded furiously. "Exactly! Ace, you’re by far the gentlest! You definitely wouldn’t treat me as roughly as he did, right?"

Crouching back down, Ace scanned her flushed cheeks with a soft gaze. "Of course not. However, since my sweet girl is in so much pain, I must find a way to offer you some proper ’treatment’."

"Tr... treatment? How?" May’s heart skipped a beat. Looking at Ace’s harmless, gentle smile, she had a terrible sinking feeling that nothing good would come of this.

Without another word, Ace reached out and caught hold of her foot...