"Okay, I understand. You may leave now."
Haruki spoke to the maid outside the door.
"What the heck! You came back at the worst time."
Seeing the desire in Haruki's eyes gradually fade, Chelsea grumbled under her breath with obvious annoyance.
It was worth noting that the relationship between Chelsea and Haruki had grown much closer over this time.
"Hm? What did you say? Could you repeat that? I didn't catch it just now."
Haruki suddenly turned to Chelsea.
With the subtle hints from the other women, Haruki had gradually come to understand Chelsea's feelings for him. By now, he had already started seeing her as his woman.
With his keen hearing, there was no way Haruki hadn't caught what Chelsea said. He just wanted to mess with her a little. For some reason, he really enjoyed seeing her flustered and embarrassed when things didn't go her way.
"Ah! I said great! General Esdeath is finally back. Now someone can finally keep you in check, you awful man."
Chelsea deliberately put on a face of joy and relief as she spoke. At the moment, neither Chelsea nor Taeko knew that Esdeath was also one of Haruki's women—they still thought she was merely related to him by clan.
"Relieved? Keep dreaming. What do you think Esdeath would do if she found out you were the assassin who tried to kill me in the southwest a few days ago? You should know she absolutely loves torture. If you end up in her hands, you'll be begging to come back here."
Haruki shook his head and gave Chelsea a look of exaggerated sympathy.
Esdeath's extreme sadistic tendencies were well-known throughout the Empire. Falling into her hands meant death was a mercy.
Chelsea's feigned cheerful expression immediately collapsed at Haruki's words. She looked at him with teary eyes and complained,
"You promised! You said as long as Taeko and I did whatever you told us, you'd keep us safe!"
"I did say that, but you've been nothing but defiant this whole time. You're nothing like Taeko who actually listens. So I think it'd be better to hand you over to Esdeath."
Haruki continued with a dead-serious face.
"Fine! If that's how it is, then I'll fight you with everything I've got!"
Thinking Haruki really meant to hand her over to Esdeath, Chelsea felt deeply wronged. She couldn't believe all her efforts had been in vain, and even the usually silent Taeko had ended up looking better in comparison. Driven by frustration and anger, she threw herself at Haruki without hesitation.
But she seemed to have forgotten one thing—she was wearing a pair of high heels that Haruki had designed himself, with heels a full ten centimeters high.
And Chelsea wasn't particularly strong to begin with. Unlike the others who had years of martial arts training, she had no real control over her balance...
"Ouch, that hurts!"
After only two steps, and still a bit of distance from Haruki, Chelsea's body suddenly tilted to the side—she was about to fall. She had twisted her right foot.
Seeing her stumble, Haruki immediately realized he had taken his joke too far.
Especially after that last dinner, Chelsea had gone to great lengths to express her feelings for him. She didn't even refuse when he asked her to wear outfits that were far bolder than what she'd usually choose, given her modest nature. But his words just now had genuinely hurt her, making her feel like he'd only been toying with her all along.
As she started to fall, Haruki quickly rose to his feet. In a flash, he appeared in front of her and caught her, letting her collapse into his arms.
"Huua~..."
Feeling herself fall into a warm, soft embrace, Chelsea looked up to see Haruki in front of her—and broke into tears.
She sobbed uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face as she pounded on Haruki's chest with her small fists, as if trying to vent all the pain in her heart. Her foot hurt, but her heart ached even more.
Seeing her like this, Haruki felt a pang of guilt. Gently patting her back, he tried to comfort her.
"It's okay, don't cry. It was my fault. I shouldn't have joked like that."
"A joke? Don't you know I like you? That kind of talk really hurts! Are you saying all my efforts meant nothing, that I'm not even as good as Taeko, who does nothing? Um…"
Chelsea cried harder, choking back sobs as she poured her heart out in Haruki's arms...
"Silly girl. If I didn't like you, would I tease you all the time? Why do you think I never flirt with the other maids? Stop crying, or that pretty face of yours won't look so pretty anymore!"
As he spoke, Haruki gently wiped away her tears, which streamed down her cheeks like broken beads.
"You're not lying?"
Chelsea raised her head, her sobs fading, and looked up at him with teary, reddened eyes. The natural orange of her pupils made her look even more captivating.
Seeing her so vulnerable, Haruki lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.
His actions spoke louder than words.
"Um…"
Caught off guard by Haruki's sudden move, Chelsea froze at first. But then, wrapping her arms around his waist, she responded passionately. A glow of happiness lit up her face.
After a long kiss, Haruki pulled away and smiled.
"Now do you believe I wasn't lying?"
"Mm…"
Chelsea nodded softly, lowering her head again. Her cheeks were flushed with a lovely blush, making her look all the more enchanting.
"Alright, let's get you seated so I can check your foot. Can't have you turning into a cripple—that'd be a real problem."
Haruki scooped Chelsea up in his arms and carried her over to the luxurious sofa where he'd been sitting earlier, gently placing her down.
"This is all your fault, making me wear these shoes."
Chelsea pouted and spoke with a hint of playful blame.
Without offering any excuse, Haruki knelt down and carefully removed the high heel from her injured right foot, revealing her beautiful foot wrapped in sheer stockings.
It had to be said—her foot was flawless. Smooth and soft, with not a single callus. Her five toes curled adorably, and with the stockings accentuating their shape, even someone like Haruki—who had no foot fetish—felt an overwhelming urge to hold it and…
But just then—
"Boom! I'm back!"
The door to Haruki's room was violently kicked open, and Esdeath strode in.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake