‘Why is all that training in etiquette and communication useless right now? I shouldn’t be so flustered by this… Should I?’ Jania could not help but admire Edrick’s sculpted body.
She had only seen the exposed bodies of a man in books before, mere anatomical illustrations that lacked presence and attractiveness- Alongside all that, she had never even seen one of the butlers without him being dressed from head to toe.
“This is a power I acquired thanks to the bloodline inherited from that murderous sasquatch. It resonated with the Mountain Sasquatch Body technique I am practising, granting me a transformation ability... It greatly enhances my physical attributes and allows me to do everything a sasquatch can do” he explained in a casual tone.
“...Wow... That’s incredible! So that sort of thing can happen when a cultivation technique and bloodline are compatible? This is simply amazing! You didn’t display that ability in the sect tournament, did you?”
“I did not at the time. I had not yet mastered it enough to use it in combat. It would have been too risky” he said, his every word sounding like an undeniable truth.
“I see… That bloodline must have merged quite well with your own if you can display those sorts of abilities. Does it not mean that it has a high chance of being passed down to your children? That’s considered a great achievement in cultivation families” Jania spoke excitedly.
“I would have to test it to be certain of that, but from the looks of it, you should be correct”
His arm transformed back to normal.
“And you can easily reverse the transformation as well… It looks like your bloodline fully dominates that of the sasquatch. This is big, it means that you could be capable of carrying several different bloodlines at the same time, does it not-? Oh, sorry for the outburst…”
“No problem, and you are right, things are looking quite bright for me in the future”
“Indeed, Mister Anoteros-”
“What would you say about sharing that future with me?”
“That would be an honour- Huh? W-What do you say?”
“I asked if you would like to be a part of that future”
“This… Huh… Sorry, Mister Anoteros… I fear that I must be slow in the head. Could… Could you explain what you mean?” she asked, swallowing her saliva. Now, her composure was in shambles.
She did not dare be too presumptuous, even though what Edrick was saying was quite clear.
“What I mean is… Would you agree to become an Elt by allowing me to slide a ring on your finger?”
“Oh… Ah… This… I should consult with my parents first…”
“That is a given, but you can tell me what you want. You certainly have your own desires, right?”
“Aaah… I… I guess if it’s just my personal opinion, I would… I wouldn’t mind at all- I mean, I’ll still need to lead Oie and care for the city and its people! I can’t abandon my mission… but yes, I would agree…” Jania was as red as a tomato. Having her hand asked in marriage by Edrick of all people was not something she had been expecting today, so it caught her by surprise.
But of course her answer would be yes! Was there any reason to say no? Was there any better choice? No reason! No alternative! It was a given that she would agree, especially since she found no fault with Anoteros as a person, either.
“Naturally, it wouldn’t come to my mind to take you away from your responsibilities. You can be mine, and lord of Oie at the same time” he took a step closer to her and leaned forward. Jania reflexively backed off, only for her back to hit a tree.
“M-Mister Anoteros…”
“You can just call me Edrick, or Lucien, if you want”
“E-Edrick… This is a bit hasty, no?” she asked, finding the situation oddly reminiscent of those romance novels she had read when she was younger.
“Mmh? Oh, don’t worry, I am not going to do anything… Yet”
“I just wanted to take a closer look at your eyes” he said, lifting her chin and planting a small kiss on her forehead.
Jania made a small noise, her body feeling uncomfortably warm all over.
“Let’s leave this here for now. I’ll let you discuss this with your parents. I’ll be coming back in a few days... See you then, Jania”
Anoteros covered his upper body back up and bid his goodbyes to Jania. As he was left, he glanced to the side and winked.
The noble girl was left panting as though she had run a marathon.
“Ugh… I… Actually made a mess, this is so embarrassing!”
“Don’t worry, I did too!” suddenly, a voice emerged from some bushes, and Tylia popped out with a similarly reddened face.
“Tylia?! What the hell?!”
“Sorry! I couldn’t help but be curious, and thank the gods I was! That was glorious! You’re so lucky, Jania. I am so happy for you, but... Do you think you could share a little with your sister? I am sure Mister Anoteros wouldn’t mind!”
“Are you crazy?”
“I mean, Mister Anoteros has multiple wives already, right? We are both inexperienced, but if we join our powers, then maybe we could-”
“This… Tylia! Just- I don’t know, just ask him directly! I need to go rest and digest what just happened, alright? No need to say anything crazy on top of that!”
“So you wouldn’t mind?”
“...”
“I’ll take that as a yes! I know the dual cultivation technique too. I am sure we’ll impress him together”
“Stop talking already!”