Charles smiled, reaching out to pat her on the head before asking softly, "How is Bonnie doing now? Are there any lasting aftereffects?"
Anno had entrusted this woman to him, so he had to take responsibility for looking after her.
Andny gently shook her head. "She’s doing well, no lingering aftereffects. Uh, if I had to bring up anything, if her husband isn’t... big enough, their marital life might not be too harmonious in the future..."
Her voice got quieter as she spoke, her eyes darting—clearly embarrassed by this topic. Charles couldn’t help but chuckle, then played along: "That’s not really our business, is it?"
Andny smiled, but then her expression shifted slightly. "Master, Lady Anno is here!"
Charles’ smile faded, and he watched as Andny, still cradling the egg, hurried toward his room. "Go on, Master, don’t keep a lady waiting!"
"I’ll take the egg—once she’s gone, we’ll study it!"
With that, she turned and scurried off, her short legs carrying her away. Charles watched her leave, absentmindedly touching his nose. He was still not used to the feeling of having his own witchs cheerfully encourage him to pursue another woman...
But he didn’t dwell on it, quickly pushing those thoughts aside as he strode to the monastery’s main doorway and opened the gates—
With a heavy creak, the door opened onto the street. Not far away, Anno—just having disembarked from a carriage and fingered her coin purse to pay the driver—turned back and blinked in surprise: "Charles? Are you heading out?"
"Ah, of course not," Charles replied with a smile. "I just had a feeling—a special guest was about to arrive." For original chapters go to N()velFire.net
At this, Anno broke into a soft laugh. "What are you talking about?"
She pulled out a gold coin, handed it to the coachman. The man thanked her profusely before driving off. The South Harbor District was remote, and its inhabitants quite poor—there was little business to be had here, and he’d likely have to return empty. If not for Anno’s generous fare, he would never have come here.
Charles strode forward to her side. This time, she didn’t hesitate—instead, she opened her arms wide for an embrace. "Come, Charles! Let’s celebrate—I’ve been promoted to Grey Squad New Blood!"
Charles’s eyes lit up, and he unhesitatingly opened his arms, hugging her shoulders. "Congratulations, darling!"
Anno pressed into his arms, just a bit shorter than him—her arms slipping about his waist, her head nestled against his chest.
Feeling the solid muscles beneath his shirt, Anno couldn’t help but open her eyes in surprise. She withdrew one hand, running it over his chest. "Have you been exercising? You’ve gotten... a lot stronger!"
Charles held her close, the fragrance of her hair and skin filling his senses. "Well, I have to prepare for the future."
Anno’s lips curled as she tucked her hand back around his waist, her cheek pressing against his chest, rubbing gently, greedily drinking in the scent of clean cloth and sturdy muscle until it made her head swim.
Still, embracing in the open wasn’t quite proper. Charles soon took her hand and led her inside the monastery, closing the gates behind them.
Only then did Anno seem to remember her usual reserve, asking, "How is Madame Bonnie now?"
"She’s doing well." Charles nodded. "The spider eggs were removed, and she’s safe. As long as she rests for two days, she’ll be able to go home."
"She’s recuperating in the clinic—shall we visit her?"
Anno agreed, stepping forward—then halted, suddenly awkward. "Ah, I should have brought something for her..."
Charles stopped as well, then chuckled. "No worries. Come, let’s stop by the kitchen and prepare a little something."
He led her to the kitchen, filling a basket with oranges and fruit for Anno to carry; then added several large jugs of milk to her small bag. Thus equipped, he brought her to the clinic.
Bonnie, less than an hour after giving birth to the egg, was still weak—but delighted by Anno’s visit. Anno sat by the bed, holding her hand and offering comfort, assuring her that she’d recover soon and could return to normal life. Bonnie, in turn, asked about Anno’s future adventures. The two women talked for a while before Anno reluctantly took Charles’s arm and left the clinic.
Out in the hall, she couldn’t help but sigh. "Honestly, if not for this adventure, I’d never have learned there was something as wicked as a drider in the world."
Charles, arm in arm with her, led the way to the kitchen. It was nearing noon, and he intended to cook while chatting. "Yes, there are horrors hidden in those mountains none of us could ever imagine."
"So—do you have a plan? How are you going to deal with the Alliance of the Mountain Purifiers, and the demon lord?"
They entered the kitchen, Charles had Anno sit on a stool while he began to crack eggs and stoke the fire.
Though in truth the kitchen cooked itself, he could stand by the stove, pose as if making a lavish meal with his own hands.
"Blackstaff Tower plans to deal with the Alliance of the Mountain Purifiers and the demon lord at the same time," Anno said. Seeing him cooking, she tried to help, but blundered about clumsily.
Charles smiled and reassured her, asking her to sit back down—only because he didn’t want her to see that the cookware was actually moving on its own.
Anno assumed he didn’t like her being awkward in the kitchen, and resolved inwardly to learn how to cook when she got home. She sat back, continuing, "For the Alliance, our superiors are planning to send people with diplomatic skills to negotiate, hoping for a peaceful resolution."
"As for the demon lord, since we still know so little about its abilities, location, strength, or even whether it still exists in those mountains, the organization thinks someone skilled in investigation should keep digging."
While pretending to beat eggs, Charles glanced back: "So... wait, are you the investigator again?"
Anno blinked, then nodded. "Yes. After all, I’m the one who discovered the demon plot, even if you provided the evidence. By the way, that’s why I was promoted to Grey Squad New Blood."
The so-called evidence consisted of items stripped from those cambions in the monastery dungeon—Charles had confiscated every possession for use as proof, which made Blackstaff Tower take the threat seriously.
But on hearing she’d be investigating again, Charles couldn’t help but laugh. He thought back to her two previous assignments—the first, investigating Sophia’s cult, she was captured; the second, investigating the Tide Caverns, she was captured again...
He couldn’t hold it in—he burst out laughing.
Anno, seeing him laugh, immediately knew what he was thinking. Mortified and indignant, she pinched him about the waist. "Don’t laugh at me! Both those times were just bad luck, alright? I didn’t expect the foes to be so powerful—there was no way to retreat!"
Charles dodged her attacks, trying to stifle his laughter. But Anno’s voice went a little soft, almost hurt: "I know I’ve only escaped by relying on your rescue both times, but I really want to pull off a successful investigation—just once—to prove I’m not as fragile as a glass vase..."
At that, Charles’s laughter vanished. He paused the kitchen’s automatic cooking, came over, and wrapped her in his arms, comforting her. "Of course you’re not. The last two times you were just unlucky, darling."
Or, in truth, it was the world’s malice—beautiful lady knights are destined to fall into the hands of their foes...
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