Chapter 157: I do appreciate the effort.

There’s a heavy silence that follows, and I can feel the shift in the already threatening atmosphere around her into one of pure danger. The way her posture stiffens, the subtle tension in her shoulders- everything about her body language screams that she’s furious. Her breathing grows heavier, and I can almost hear the barely suppressed irritation in each breath she takes.

“Oh, you appreciate the effort, do you?” she repeats through gritted teeth.

A wicked grin spreads across my face, relishing the satisfaction of knowing exactly how much I’m getting under her skin. “Absolutely. Your dedication doesn’t go unnoticed by your benevolent master. You will be handsomely rewarded at a later date.”

Her response is immediate, dripping with exasperated sarcasm. “I’m oh-so-grateful!” As she says it, my short-tempered samurai stomps at the ground in frustration. As usual, I decide to let her grumble and vent until she eventually moves on. It’s a pattern we’ve danced to before, and by now I’m awfully aware of when I should let her pretty little head cool down by not irritating her further.

Aurora meanwhile just stands there, looking between all of us with a lot of confusion depicted on her face.

I then finally refocus my attention on the potion girl. “Alright, Aurora, I like what I’m hearing for now.

If you make an oath right here and now both on the Goddess and your parents’ memory that everything you’ve said up until now has been nothing but the truth, and also that you will not attempt to betray us in any shape or form, we will do our best to obtain the ingredient so that you can finish your parents’ work, and we will also support you financially by housing and feeding you, and in exchange you will concoct a potion for me to consume.”

Aurora just stands there, blinking rapidly as her expression shifts from confusion to hope as she listens to my proposal. The moment I finish her eyes widen with overwhelming emotion. Before I can even register what’s happening, she bursts into happy tears, her face brightening like the sun after a storm.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Aurora wails, practically glowing with joy. She suddenly rushes forward, leaping into my arms and wrapping herself around me with surprising strength for a civilian. “Daddy!!!” she cries out, burying her face deeply into my chest.

I freeze, caught completely off guard by her reaction. “W-wait, what?” I stammer, trying to process what just happened. Wasn’t this girl the medieval equivalent of a scientist? One severely down on her luck and on the brink of crippling depression, sure, but isn’t this just too much? I wasn’t expecting so much… emotional vulnerability and openness from her.

Blossom’s interest surges as she leans in and begins sniffing this strange creature who clearly has to deal with a myriad of issues.

“Damn womanizer…” Ayame mutters scornfully.

How can you blame me even in this situation, you damned woman?!

This situation brings back memories of Pumpkin, the goblin breeding captive who had clung to me in a similar manner, calling me “Daddy” as if it were the most natural thing in the world. A wry smile forms on my lips as I recall those poor women and wonder how life treats them now. Maybe our paths will cross sometime in the future to satisfy my curiosity.

I return my attention to my newest ‘daughter’ and I shake my head amusedly. “This world… If fathers aren’t protecting their daughters, they’ll keep falling into the arms of dangerous men like me, and if I happen to like them, I might just not let them go…”

I can tell that Ayame is rolling her eyes even with the mask doing its best to hide it from me. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You can’t just go collecting dejected, lonely, depressed girls like this!”

But my dearest Ayame, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Lending a shoulder to cry on for beautiful maidens is a gentleman’s honorable job, after all. Exclusively for beautiful maidens though, of course.

I let a dark grin creep onto my face as I tighten my embrace around Aurora- who seems completely oblivious to her surroundings- and hold her protectively against me by her waist with one hand while I stroke her hair gently with the other and whisper sweet nothings into her ear; “don’t worry, Aurora. I’ll take care of you. You’re safe now. Everything will be fine…”

Aurora sniffles, her tears slowing as she melts into the embrace, completely soothed by my words. “Thank you, Daddy… I’ll do my best, I promise.”

“I know that you will.” I state calmly which earns me several eager nods of her head on my chest.

Blossom tilts her head, clearly intrigued by this new development. “Master is really good at winning the hearts of people.” she muses out loud, her voice filled with a strange mix of admiration and curiosity.

“… You mean the hearts of troubled women.” My disgruntled Blade scoffs.

Aurora then went through the oath, she even knelt before the three of us while stating her lines. If, even after all this she betrays us then I can only blame myself and my poor people skills.

Afterwards we move back to Broderick’s mansion to lose our robes and masks and to inform them that we will be sleeping in town for the time being, after which we move towards the inn where Blossom and I had a heartfelt session of bodily discussion.

Naturally, we are not novices enough to show Aurora the hidden pathway to their home, so she was instructed to wait for us in front of the inn.

When I step in front of her, she looks me up and down disinterestedly. “Who are you? Get on with your day!” She gives me the cold shoulder with a cold, bitchy attitude. freewebnσvel.cm

It’s very reassuring to see that our mask and robe combo is having such profound success. Without its height manipulation I’m sure she would’ve realized that it’s me, but now that I’ve suddenly grown significantly taller she thinks I’m a stranger.

I grin and begin in a mocking tone, “you’ve already forgotten about me? And I thought that I left a rather profound mark behind.”