Forbidden Women Only Empire Where NO Man Could Set Foot. [Eden’s Vault]

The dining area on the middle floor of the Gorgon treehouse smelled absolutely heavenly.

Medusa and Euryale had worked miracles. What had begun as a chaotic war crime in the kitchen had turned into an elegant feast worthy of a five-star meal.

On the low living-wood table sat several unique dishes from the Forest of Gorgons, spiced with rare ingredients from across the world:

Emerald Forest Serpent Stew — Tender cuts of lesser forest drake simmered in a rich golden broth with moon-petals and crushed star-anise. Tiny glowing herbs floated on top, releasing soft pulses of restorative mana.

Petrified Root Flatbread — Thin, crisp breads baked from the powdered heartwood of their split tree, brushed with wild honey and dusted with crimson fire-spices.

Crystal Vine Salad — Fresh iridescent vines tossed with jewel-fruit segments, toasted serpent-nut crumbles, and a tangy dressing made from fermented dream-berries.

Golden Scale Spice Cakes — Small fluffy cakes infused with rare saffron and secret Gorgon pollen that left a pleasant, lingering warmth on the tongue.

The aroma alone was enough to make anyone’s stomach growl.

Hyun-woo and Stheno sat side-by-side on a wide moss cushion. Stheno wore a loose crimson robe that kept slipping off one shoulder, while Hyun-woo was still in his torn shirt and pants. Both of them looked thoroughly rumpled.

Medusa set the final bowl down with elegant precision and sat across from them. Euryale settled beside her, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“So,” Medusa began, her voice deceptively calm as she tore off a piece of flatbread. “You two were… busy all night. And most of the morning.”

Stheno nearly choked on her water. “We were just—”

“On a date,” Hyun-woo finished casually, reaching for the stew. “A proper one. Dinner, carnival games, night market, Aether-Coaster ride… the whole thing.”

He ladled the glowing Emerald Forest Serpent Stew into his bowl. It looked strange with chunks of meat mixed with glowing flowers, but the rich aroma made his mouth water. He took a big spoonful.

The chewy meat, fragrant star anise, and sweet moon-petals created an incredible combination. The stew was fucking delicious.

Medusa watched him closely. “So how is it?”

“It’s incredible,” Hyun-woo said, already going for another spoonful.

Euryale’s eyes widened in surprise. “A date?” She glanced at Medusa, then back at them. “You went on a full date… after only knowing each other for one day?”

She really couldn’t understand it. Stheno—her sister who hated men more than anything in the world—had spent the entire night and morning having sex with one. Though… no matter how many times she looked at Hyun-woo’s soft, pretty face, she had to admit he was cute.

Medusa’s emerald snakes all tilted their heads in perfect synchronization. “We thought you were just showing him the city. Not that you were properly courting him.”

Stheno’s cheeks burned red. She stabbed a piece of drake meat with unnecessary force. “It just… happened. I didn’t think I needed to file a fucking report with my sisters.”

Euryale leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand with a curious smile. “And how did this ‘date’ go before you two started making noises loud enough to wake the entire forest?”

Hyun-woo choked on his food. He quickly grabbed some water and drank it down. “Well… what can I say? It was amazing,” he muttered, trying (and failing) to hide his embarrassment.

Medusa and Euryale exchanged small, amused smiles. At least he wasn’t completely shameless, unlike someone else. They both glanced at Stheno, who kept stealing quick looks at Hyun-woo every few seconds.

Medusa smoothly changed the subject. “So, how did the date go?”

“It was amazing,” Hyun-woo answered happily, glad for the new topic. “Until I accidentally vaporized a carnival game stall. Then we ran like criminals. It was fun.”

Stheno elbowed him hard in the ribs. “You don’t have to tell them that part!”

Medusa raised an elegant eyebrow. “You destroyed public property on your first date?”

“He forgot he’s stupidly strong,” Stheno muttered, cheeks still pink. “But… it was nice. Really nice.” Her voice softened at the end. One of her smaller snakes peeked out from her hair and gave Hyun-woo an affectionate little flick on the cheek.

Euryale smiled warmly. “I’m happy for you, sister. Truly.” Then her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Though I have to ask… was the sex really that good?”

Hyun-woo choked on his salad again. “Cough—cough—!”

“Hey, are you going to choke on everything now?” Stheno asked, rolling her eyes as she rubbed his back. Then she looked straight at Euryale, answering boldly. “And yes, sister. It was fucking great. As a matter of fact, I want to have sex again right now.”

Before Hyun-woo could even react, a familiar clicking sound came from the spiral staircase.

Everyone turned toward the entrance.

And who should appear but none other than Ebonara. She was still in her humanoid form, wearing her signature tight black crop top and leather pants. Her eight gem-like eyes swept over the table—then locked directly onto Hyun-woo.

Without saying a word, she walked straight over, completely ignoring everyone else. She slid onto the cushion right beside him and leaned in very close.

She buried her face against the side of his neck and took a long, deliberate sniff.

Sniff… sniff… sniff.

Stheno’s golden snakes immediately reared up, hissing aggressively.

Ebonara pulled back slightly. Her eyes cycled through colors—gold to pink to a dangerous crimson. “You smell like her. And sex. Lots of sex.” She gave Hyun-woo one more long sniff, then turned her gaze on Stheno with a slow, fanged smile. “Golden bitch.”

Stheno bared her own fangs. “Bushy scorpion.”

Hyun-woo just sighed, wrapping one arm around Ebonara’s waist and pulling her closer so she was half in his lap. “Play nice. Both of you. We’re eating.”

Ebonara huffed but settled comfortably against Hyun-woo’s side, placing one hand possessively on his thigh. She reached over and stole a piece of spice cake straight from his plate, popping it into her mouth without shame.

“Hey, don’t eat other people’s food,” Medusa said, sliding a fresh plate toward her. “Here, have some of this.”

“Shut up, Medusa. I can do whatever I want with my cutie pie,” Ebonara replied, completely ignoring the plate. She grabbed a piece of flatbread, scooped up some stew, and brought it to her mouth.

Medusa watched the entire exchange with a dry look. “Bitch, I’m giving you food and you’re telling me this?”

“Yeah, why don’t you mind your own—” Ebonara started, but before she could finish, Hyun-woo gently covered her mouth with his hand.

“Don’t be rude. She’s being nice,” he said calmly, then removed his hand.

Ebonara huffed but didn’t say anything else rude.

Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale still couldn’t believe it. The proud, untamable Scorpion Queen actually listening to someone? Every time they saw it, it felt more unbelievable.

After a moment of relative peace, Euryale spoke up, her voice soft but curious. “So… did Ebonara already know about the date?”

Instead of Stheno, it was Ebonara who answered while still chewing. “He called me for permission before he fucked her brains out on the Aether-Coaster. Such a respectful cutie pie.”

Euryale nearly dropped her spoon. Medusa’s snakes all froze mid-hiss. They were equal parts confused, intrigued, and surprised.

“You… called her for permission?” Medusa asked slowly.

Hyun-woo shrugged and spooned more stew into his bowl. “Yes. I made a promise to her. If I ever get into a relationship with another woman, I’ll ask her first.”

Stheno looked quite pleased. Honestly, if Hyun-woo hadn't been transparent about Ebonara on the coaster, she probably would have ended the date then and there. His honesty was exactly what made her feel safe enough to jump the gun in the first place.

Ebonara, meanwhile, nuzzled into Hyun-woo’s shoulder with a satisfied purr, her tail curling possessively around his ankle under the table.

The table fell into a strange, chaotic silence—broken only by the clink of utensils and the occasional hiss from various snake-hairs.

Euryale spoke again, her tone genuinely curious. “Hyun-woo… are you planning to collect all of us?”

Hyun-woo almost choked on his food. “I’m not collecting anyone. I just… like spending time with people who matter to me. If that leads somewhere, it leads somewhere. No pressure.”

Ebonara licked a bit of honey off her finger, eyes half-lidded. “He’s mine first. The rest of you can fight for scraps.”

“Like hell,” Stheno growled, but there was no real heat behind it. She stole a piece of flatbread from Hyun-woo’s plate in retaliation.

Medusa sighed, though the corners of her mouth twitched upward in amusement. “This household is going to become very noisy.”

Euryale simply smiled, her green aura glowing gently. “I don’t mind noisy at all.”

Hyun-woo looked around the table—at the bickering monster women, the absurdly delicious food, and the strange, warm sense of belonging settling in his chest. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

He smiled, soft and a little shy. “Yeah… me neither.”

“Also, cutie pie,” Ebonara said, as if suddenly remembering something. She reached over and tugged at his torn white shirt. “You really need to change your clothes. You’ve been wearing the same ruined outfit for two days.”

“You know, I was going to ask you about that,” Hyun-woo replied. “I do need a new set of clothes.”

Medusa shook her head. “You can’t just buy clothes here. There are no men’s clothes in Eden’s Vault.”

“Can’t you all just teleport to my house or something?” Hyun-woo asked, curious. They had teleported into the council chamber before, so he figured it shouldn’t be hard.

All of them understood, but there was a catch. “We can only teleport to certain places. Mother only allows us to travel freely to the council chamber for meetings. Every guardian can only freely teleport to their own city. Everywhere else is restricted.”

“Hmm…” Hyun-woo fell quiet for a moment.

Euryale suddenly perked up with an idea. “Why not just ask Mother? Maybe she can help you.”

[AN: Hey everyone, I owe you a massive apology for not releasing any new chapters for the past two days!

Between the guests and the butcher duty, I just couldn't find a single second of free time to sit down and write. Anyway, I am so sorry for the delayed chapter, but thank you all for your patience!]