23—Rented Mansion

The hunt went quite well, although at first, it took a while for Nika to get over her fear of killing. In the end, I was forced to pin a dying beast down—some kind of oversized hyena-wolf with shaggy patches of clumpy grey hair, and wicked sharp claws and fangs—and urge Nika until she eventually managed gather her wits enough to land the killing blow, a wickedly sharp spear of ice straight through its neck.

After the quest was done we stayed to hunt for a while longer, and eventually Nika got more or less used to the sight of gore and death. At least to a point where it would no longer hinder her overly in the midst of a battle.

She was quite winded by the end of the day, both from mana depletion and emotional fatigue, so I asked her if she wanted me to carry her.

She snarkily replied that she was fine and that she could walk back on her own, stubbornly keeping up a strong facade, but between how her whole body was trembling slightly and how she was looking right at the ground with a bitter smile, I didn't believe her one bit.

Before she could even notice what was happening, I appeared behind her and swept her off her feet and into my arms in a princess carry, like I'd done with Aina so many times before. Nika was ever so slightly heavier, but both were as light as a feather to my enhanced physique that had long broken through the limits of a normal human.

When Nika found herself in my arms, she panicked a little, and let put some incoherent grumblings as she brought her hands up to cover her slightly blushing face, halfheartedly squirming to try to get out of my grip.

However, she soon found herself locked in place by my arms with no means of escape short of a magic spell to my face, so she reluctantly accepted being carried and stopped thrashing about. In other words, she had finally given up her fake act of reluctance. She really wasn't very good at acting.

I looked over at Aina, expecting her to show displeasure at my actions, but she just smiled sweetly at me when she noticed my gaze, as if egging me on. She was way too good for a scoundrel like me. I decided to do her extra passionately that night. I swore I'd make her taste heaven.

I carried Nika all the way to the guild, where we cashed in our quest, then let her guide me towards the direction of her temporary home, since she was only staying in the capital temporarily until she hit D Rank. I'd been expecting a small inn room, perhaps a high class one, but instead, the place she led me to was a freaking manor, in every sense of the word.

Two huge floors plus an attic, possibly even a basement, two balconies and several huge windows overlooking the wide street it was in, opulently decorated interiors, and every possible commodity, be it mundane or magical.

Sure, it was incomparable to the ducal state where I lived, but this place was in the bustling center of the capital, where each square foot would cost a family their monthly pay. That was a hyperbole, of course, but it couldn't be too far off.

Okay, maybe it was. Whatever.

The only thing that differentiated the house from that of a rich lord was that there were no servants, perhaps because Mika's mysterious master wanted her to learn to fare for herself. Or maybe Nika was just stingy with her allowance.

We had already arrived at her living room, but Nika was still lying comfortably in my arms. She seemed to have gotten cozy in them at some point, and now she was unwilling to part with them. I was eventually left with no other choice but to gently pry her off me and lay her on her bed, before saying goodbye and leaving with Aina.

We reached the manor just before dinner time, and I suddenly remembered something.

"Hey, Aina," I addressed her, not sure how to go about the issue.

"Yes, master?" She asked, oblivious to my plight.

"You know... we can't keep having all our meals here, in my room. I have been avoiding my family lately, but that will only cause more trouble in the long run. I have to start having lunch and dinner in the dining room with them again, even if I detest it. You should also have your meals with the rest of the estate's maids."

She smiled. It wasn't a forced smile like I expected, but a bright, beautiful one.

"Of course, Master. I knew this from day one, that it was unsustainable for us to maintain this. But I was just so happy at receiving Master's undivided attention... I acted extremely selfishly and didn't say anything. But, Master, I'm ready. Today, I'll have dinner with the rest of the maids, so please don't worry about me."

"Aina... You say that, but of course I'm worried. I'm worried they will insult you, call you names, and bully you... So, I want you to promise me. Don't let them abuse you, physically or verbally. If necessary, use your authority as the duke's son's personal maid, or in the worst case scenario, use physical means.

"You're easily strong enough to overpower them, and I'll take full responsibility for your actions. Of course, you must tell me if anything happens. And most importantly, Aina, look at me. Never, and I mean never, believe any of the things they say to you. Aina, you're a gorgeous and kind girl, and whoever says otherwise is wrong. Do you understand?"

Aina looked at me, and then started crying. But she was smiling. From her smile, I could feel happiness overflowing. Happiness about how much I cared about her. Between the tears, she managed to squeeze out a response.

"Sob, sob, y-yes, sniff, I, hic, I promise master."

We kissed. We kissed deeply and passionately. After we reluctantly stopped, I Rinsed away her tears and saliva, and after I made sure she had put her maid outfit on right and her hair was well-enough groomed, I sent her off, with a bit of a heavy heart.

'Is this what parents feel like on their child's first day at school?'

I shook my head. Worrying would be of no help at this point. Soon, I joined my family in the dining room.