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As she expected, Emilia found Crystal going over her class notes in her room, and the girl quickly volunteered to help her shower and change when she arrived.
Emilia had no reason to object, and happily enjoyed Crystal's meticulous care as the girl lathered hair long, crimson hair and massaged her dutifully from head to toe.
Crystal was already shy and demure by nature, and Emilia knew that the girl didn't have the courage to 'escalate' the situation unless she was teased to the point where she really couldn't control herself.
Of course, she also knew that her little heroine was a closet pervert, but Emilia didn't mind her sneakily 'taking advantage' while helping her wash. Anyway, as long as Crystal was happy and they didn't miss school, wasn't it fine?
Whether it was due to her being shy or conscious of the time, Crystal really didn't go too far. Though they still ended up in a wet, steamy kiss right after exiting the shower, the girl still helped her quickly change into the uniform as they joined Dixie, Sam, and Michelle for breakfast.
Emilia didn't mind that Michelle looked a little awkward being seated at the breakfast table instead of standing by her side, as she knew the girl would get used to it by tomorrow, probably.
Since they were a little late, none of them talked much at the breakfast table, except for Sam inquiring how her date had been. Although the others at the table tried their best to appear normal, Emilia could pretty much sense that their ears had been erected.
The crimson-haired girl couldn't help but smile in amusement. "She's unexpectedly naughty."
"Hm?"
"What does that mean?"
"Noelle? Naughty? Are you really talking about that ever-serious ice block?"
Emilia giggled. "It's only a layer of ice on top, and the inside is all sweet, sticky, soft mush."
There was a round of coughing and choking from around the table, and even the maid who wasn't eating anything seemed to choke on her own saliva.
After a while, Sam cleared her throat in embarrassment. "L-Let's not talk about this stuff while eating in the future."
Emilia grinned mischievously. "What are you girls thinking? I was talking about her personality! Hmph."
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Meanwhile, the hero had already been taken to a secure location to receive treatment. And after a brief examination, the medical team couldn't help but be shocked.
After hearing their report, Mr. Black couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "So you mean there is no permanent damage, right?"
Compared to his boss, the doctor obviously found the situation more unbelievable. Although he wasn't aware of the whole situation, he still knew that the boy had been held captive and tortured for quite a while.
For such a person, even if they were rescued within hours, there were bound to be multiple injuries that simply couldn't be solved using their current medical technology, depending on the method of torture.
And in this case… he knew for sure that the boy had been out for more than just a few hours. After all, he couldn't have been called to stand by before the boy was even taken away, right?
But the facts were in his hand, and his disbelief didn't stop him from reporting the truth. "We believe that within three months of recovery and six months of rehabilitation, the young master should be able to get back to his peak state."
Of course, the doctor didn't mention any psychological damage, as he knew that the Black Tiger would surely hire experts to take care of that, as well.
Mr. Black looked relieved as he waved the doctor and his team away. "Leave us be for a minute."
Amos couldn't even be bothered to retort on the man's hypocritical 'care', and just sneered. "What happened to that man?"
Mr. Black sighed as he looked at the temporary bandages all over his son's body. He knew that many of them would be changed for plasters soon, and the boy would look even more miserable. "We're still looking for him. You just rest and recover. Other things… just forget about it for now."
His father's words immediately lit a fire in the hero's heart as he slammed his fist on the bad, grimacing in both pain and fury. "Forget?! How can you say that? Fucking—! AHH!"
Mr. Black frowned. If it hadn't been for the boy's pitiful state, he really wanted to teach his son some discipline. "Don't lose your mind over one loss. Which one of the people at the top wouldn't go through a little suffering before getting where they are now? Don't tell me a single setback is all it takes to destroy your mentality?"
Although he knew his words were harsh, Mr. Black truly believed that if he let his son go on like this, he would really lose sight of the real objectives, and obsess over finding some insignificant man.
If that guy went and died in a ditch, never to be found, was the heir of his Black Tiger supposed to live the rest of his life in vain? Impossible!
Amos couldn't believe his father's words at all, and looking at the man's disappointed face, he couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter.
The complicated feeling of gratitude and resentment when his father rescued him had already dissipated like smoke when Amos saw how gloomy the man had looked when he first saw him.
There was no happiness or joy at finally finding the son he was looking for, only anger and disappointment, and it completely chilled his heart.
How could he have forgotten that this was the man who dared to express disappointment at his mother for dying? As if it was her fault!
This bastard of a father didn't even say a single word after seeing him such a state!
The humiliation he felt in his heart magnified, and despite his hysterical laughter, Amos couldn't help but curse the man in his heart. 'Had you not been so late, would I ever be in such a state? What right do you have to look at me with disappointment?! Bastard! Bastard!'
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