Chapter 109: Hold Me If You’re Scared
“Are you staying the night…? I mean, if you don’t mind, I’ll prepare the guest room.”
The little deer girl, her brown fur damp, said with tears in her eyes.
“Go back, you don’t have to trouble yourself.” Angel hugged Ka Ka, but could only reach her slender waist, her heart aching at the sight of Ka Ka’s teary eyes. “We’re friends, and between friends, there’s no need for pretense or sadness. Parting is for the next reunion…”
If you cherish it, treat every reunion as a first encounter.
…
“Why was she crying?”
Lena, back on the forest path, asked, puzzled.
Were Dryads such sentimental creatures?
“Didn’t I tell you? Ka Ka is moving,” Angel replied.
Lena raised an eyebrow. “What, business isn’t good?”
“More or less. She’s too kind to her regular customers, refusing to accept payment, so ‘The Stable’ has always been losing money.”
“Indeed.”
Without proper marketing and strategy, even the best craftsmanship couldn’t prevent failure.
People like Ka Ka weren’t suited for business, too sentimental.
Lena thought Ka Ka would be better suited as an employee.
She was naturally friendly, skilled, and gentle. Ignoring her unusual appearance, she was undeniably beautiful, a diamond in the rough.
“After she leaves, ‘The Stable’ will be gone, and I’ll have to find another affordable pet groomer…”
“Aren’t there plenty of pet shops in the city?” Lena asked casually.
“But they’re expensive! A simple grooming session costs ten gold coins or more, with memberships and packages, they treat Little White like a money tree. I didn’t know about these tricks and was completely scammed the first time.”
Angel’s excitement turned to frustration. At least half of her earnings went to Little White, the other half often taken by her father, leaving her struggling.
Sometimes, she felt like a machine on an assembly line, one mistake and everything would fall apart.
Life was so tiring, she wanted to give up…
Her idol career, her studies, the Saintess election, and now a princess vying for her wife, Angel felt like she couldn’t cope.
“Just use my name,” Lena said, smirking.
“What good would that do?!” Angel tossed her hair, the air filling with her sweet fragrance. “Is your name that powerful?”
“The Falmouths’ influence is far greater than you imagine. Trust your fiancée, and her influence.”
“Hmph~”
Angel didn’t argue.
She had witnessed Lena’s power during the recent events, her disregard for anyone’s authority.
So, she readily accepted Lena’s assurance…
“I don’t want your dirty money.”
“It’s not dirty, it’s fragrant.”
Lena flipped her hand, a gold coin appearing in her palm. She slipped it into her cleavage, taking a deep breath…
When she retrieved it, the coin was warm, carrying the scent of lavender, no longer smelling of copper, but of Lena’s skin. It was like a beautiful girl tossing you her undergarments, winking seductively.
The coin’s value had doubled after its journey through Lena’s cleavage.
“Ha! You think I would want this?! How superficial!”
Angel snatched the coin, glaring at Lena, then raised her hand…
The coin, carrying Lena’s scent, disappeared into the bushes.
Lena wanted to scold her for being wasteful. “What a waste…”
“I don’t want your money, and I don’t want you spending money on me, I…”
I what?
Lena took her hand, and they walked together.
Ka Ka had mentioned something unclean in the nearby forest, and the mansion near the cabin had appeared overnight… empty and eerie.
But Lena wasn’t afraid; she never believed in such things. And with Lena by her side, Angel felt no fear, the warmth of Lena’s hand reassuring, her grip tightening unconsciously.
Reaching the end of the path, looking back at the cabin in the rain, Angel raised her umbrella, her voice calm. “I hope you can treat me as an equal, not a girl who can be easily bought with money and affection. It’s too frivolous.”
Lena, always emotionally intelligent, took the umbrella with the deer antler pattern, sheltering them both. “Is this your choice?”
“Yes, I want to rely on myself.”
“I don’t believe you’re being serious.”
“I am,” Angel insisted.
Lena’s expression remained unchanged, but her eyes darkened. “But what’s mine is yours, the marriage contract clearly states that our assets are shared, there’s no such thing as relying on each other. Besides, the money you spend will eventually return to my pocket, that’s the Falmouth way, the way of the wealthiest family in Almeria.”
“Lena…”
Angel seemed to have more to say, but Lena stopped her, silencing her with a kiss.
Their lips parted, the kiss moving to a more pleasurable location…
“You think I’m just playing around?” Lena asked, her voice slightly breathless.
Angel’s face flushed. “Aren’t you? You’re insulting me with money, seducing me with your actions, I won’t fall for your tricks.”
“A tsundere kitten, how unappealing.”
“Then go find your Diana, you’ll get tired of me eventually, just like now, you’ll repeat the same mistakes because of women, and no one will pity you when you fail.”
Angel’s words were filled with self-deprecating resignation.
Lena didn’t understand what she had done wrong.
Was it not enough money?
Not enough love?
They had spent the entire night together, and Lena had clearly favored Angel, even in… other activities.
“Are you jealous?”
Lena finally reached a conclusion. “I smell the sour scent of jealousy, you’ve been acting strange ever since I mentioned my engagement with Diana. You’re definitely jealous! Jealous of Diana, and Ka Ka!”
“No.”
Angel replied calmly, but avoided Lena’s gaze.
She knew her eyes wouldn’t lie; Lena would find the answer in them.
“I’m being serious, and I hope you won’t avoid this.”
“Ah! Put me down!”
“Staying in my arms will calm you down, my angel… no, I should call you my sweetheart~” Lena’s voice was playful.
“Sweetheart my ass!”
“I don’t have a younger sister, but I wouldn’t mind having a few more. The more, the merrier. I like it when beautiful girls call me ‘sister’ and open up to me.”
“Put me down!”
“I’m enjoying this embrace, I would even die for you right now.”
Lena kissed Angel’s cheek, gently pinching it. “But before that, you better behave, because I can’t guarantee what might come out of this dark forest. A two-headed ogre chewing on a severed limb, a blood-soaked butcher with a cleaver, and the ‘unclean thing’ Ka Ka mentioned…”
Hold me if you’re scared.
My angel.
But Angel’s mind was still reeling from Lena’s words, and after a moment, she whispered, “I… wouldn’t want you to die…”
